New To My Wishlist #1

Welcome to a new feature at The Left-Handed Book Lover! Basically, this feature is meant to showcase books I really want to read, whether they were released years ago or don't come out for another six months. Enjoy!

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Published: February 1, 2017 by Alfred A.Knopf (already released in Australia)

Summary from Goodreads: 
This is a love story.
It's the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets.
It's the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea.
Now, she's back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal and looking for the future in the books people love, and the words they leave behind.

Romance and books and Cath Crowley, oh my! Seriously, I just know I'm going to love this book and I need it in my life right this very second!!

 RoseBlood by A.G. Howard
Published: January 10, 2017 by Amulet Books

Summary from Goodreads: 
In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera.


At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known.

IT'S A PHANTOM OF THE OPERA RETELLING OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR 

 Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
Published: May 2, 2017 by Amulet Books

Summary from Goodreads: 
It’s the start of Jordan Sun’s junior year at the Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts. Unfortunately, she’s an Alto 2, which—in the musical theatre world—is sort of like being a vulture in the wild: She has a spot in the ecosystem, but nobody’s falling over themselves to express their appreciation. So it’s no surprise when she gets shut out of the fall musical for the third year straight. But then the school gets a mass email: A spot has opened up in the Sharpshooters, Kensington’s elite a cappella octet. Worshiped . . . revered . . . all male. Desperate to prove herself, Jordan auditions in her most convincing drag, and it turns out that Jordan Sun, Tenor 1, is exactly what the Sharps are looking for.

Um, hi. My name is Lefty and I am a die-hard choir nerd and THIS BOOK SOUNDS FANTASTIC.  I'm still waiting for the perfect singing book to come along. Is this it? I muST KNOWWW.

I'm very VERY extremely utterly jazzed for all three of these books!!! Do these sound like books you'd want to read? 

Flashback Friday #6: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (with giveaway)

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Left-Handed Book Lover's Flashback Friday. I'm not sure if this feature has been done on other blogs. I haven't seen it, but if it has been, let me know so I can give some credit!

FF is a feature here where I talk about books I read a while ago but still want to give major love to. This feature is designed to give some exposure to books that may have been forgotten about or that some people haven't heard of, even though they're really great! And I've decided to add a giveaway to the Flashback Friday series because what better way to get people reading a book than actually giving a copy out?

This week's FF goes to...

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

(Pushing the Limits #1)

Published: June 1, 2012 by Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Summary from Goodreads: 
So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again..

WHEN DID I READ THIS?

I read this as an eARC over a month before it was released. I knew that was a little early to read it, but I just knew this book was going to be perfect for me, so I was too pumped to wait to read it. I read the whole thing in a day. I've also really been wanting to re-read it lately.

 WHY DID I PICK THIS BOOK?

I've been obsessed with this book since the second I finished it. I've been shoving it into my in-real-life friends' hands ever since. I know it's a bit more on the popular side, but I don't want people to forget about this book or this incredible author!!

THREE REASONS YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK:

1. NOAH - lkdngoerkngopedf I love Noah so much. He's one of those misunderstood bad boys with a heart of gold. I love him so much. He treats Echo incredibly well, and is so dedicated to the people he cares about. He'd sacrifice his own happiness if it meant helping out a loved one.

2. Hate-to-love relationship - Idk about you, but that is one of my favorite types of romances.

3. Secrets - Aside from the sizzlin' romance, my favorite part of this novel was that McGarry just kep revealing secret after secret. There's always so much more to uncover, and rather than being melodramatic or frustrating, all these secrets help the book be more unpredictable and addicting!

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

GIVEAWAY 

The winner will receive a paperback copy of Pushing the Limits from the Book Depository. This giveaway is open internationally, as long as the book depository ships to you. Entries from giveaway accounts will not be accepted. Believe me, I will check. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would You Rather #3: Dark Edition

Hiya! Would You Rather is a pretty self-explanatory new feature here at The Left-Handed Book Lover, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Each WYR post will have a different theme.

This time I chose books with dark covers. I picked 20 dark-covered novels, paired them up at random, and then picked one. This was extremely difficult! I love most these books so much (there are a few I'm not so fond of), and there were some pairings where I spent way too long deliberating which one to choose.

ARE THERE ANY CHOICES YOU'D MAKE DIFFERENTLY? 

My Favorite Part Of The Book Community

This is a post I've wanted to write for several weeks, but I really wanted to take my time and put my heart into it, because you all deserve that. I've not had as much time for my blog as I'd like, so this (kind of) discussion got brushed under the rug.

However.

Every time I log on to Twitter, I see people talking about the drama in the community. I don't actually know what the drama is because I don't spend too much time on Twitter these days, and I don't have the energy to figure it out or worry about it. But I figured now was a good time to finally write this post, to give the community some positivity, and to remind all my bookish friends out there that we can--and should--celebrate our differences. 

MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK COMMUNITY

I started blogging when I was 15. I didn't really know how it worked. I didn't know if I'd like it or if I'd be any good at it. I didn't know if I'd keep it up very long, and I didn't know if it would become important to me. All I knew is that I loved books, and I wanted to talk about books with other people who loved them as much as I did.

Now, here I am, five years (and countless books) later. Blogging has become so incredibly important to me. My blog(s) and I have grown together. We've been through a lot, but here I am, five years later. Blogging and I, we've had our ups and downs, but here I am, five years later. There have been times when I was an inconsistent and unreliable blogger. There were times when I thought I'd given up blogging for good, because as much as I love blogging, it's hard work and real life gets in the way of hobbies sometimes.

BUT HERE I AM, FIVE YEARS LATER.

I keep coming back, no matter what. And yes, part of it is because I like the creative aspect of it, part of it is because I like to stay tuned into the book industry. But the number one reason I can't stay away from book blogging is the community.

For the most part, the people in the book community are endlessly kind and funny and understanding. And it's a truly beautiful thing to know I can tweet about something a friend said to me that hurt my feelings and have my mentions flooded with uplifting words. The book community makes me feel important and it makes me feel like I have a place in this world, which is fantastic.

But, in my opinion, a big part of what makes that so fantastic is that there are hundreds of us (thousands of us?) who come from different backgrounds, different walks of life, who have faced different challenges, overcome different obstacles, have cried different tears and smiled different smiles, who are broken in different ways and whole in different ways, who have learned different things, who have seen different landscapes and held different hands.

We are all so different.

Yet here we are, connected, united. We are a community all because we love books.

Thanks to all of you lovely humans, I am privy to a plethora of different perspectives. I get to learn and grow and become more open-minded. I get to have conversations that I probably won't ever have with the people I know in real life. I get to strengthen and reevaluate my own ideals and learn more about the world I live in.

I will most likely never meet any of you face-to-face, and yet, you have all helped shape me and you have all helped me define myself.

And if thinking about that doesn't take your breath away a little, I'm not sure what will.

Top Ten Books That Need To Be Turned Into TV Shows Pronto

Listen, I love TV shows (pretty much as much as I love books), so I was pumped to see that this week's TTT topic was a TV-themed freebie! As great as movies are and all, I am always hoping for some more book-to-TV adaptations, so this week provided the perfect chance for me to talk about the books I want to see in my handy dandy picture box!

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - Okay, first of all, I don't get why this hasn't been adapted to anything yet??? It would be a fantastic TV show! The world could really lend itself to an episodic story, and there's so much you can do with it that it could go on for several seasons. I'm still holding out hope that ONE DAY this will see some sort of screen, be it big or small.

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman - This would be an interesting & emotional historical fiction TV show. Obviously writers would have to throw in a bit more plot/action than the book has, but the overall story would be so great to watch.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - I think it's harder to imagine contemporary fiction as a TV show, especially when it falls on the fluffier side of the spectrum, but I imagine this could have a sort of Carrie Diaries vibe. The characters and the setting would translate so well to TV.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano - The premise would make for great television!! The books aren't the most action-packed, so I feel the writers would have to add quite a bit, but the world/different settings/storylines could make a unique & addicting TV show.

The Program by Suzanne Young - I've only read the first book in this duology, but this world is dark and could be explored in so many ways!

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - Again, I've only read the first book in this series, and I don't even remember much of what happens, but I think the premise and the magical world has so many possibilities for TV.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - I HAVE BEEN RALLYING FOR THIS TO BECOME A TV SHOW FOR YEARS. The world is intricate, the characters have depth, there's action, there's romance, there's so much plot to work with. And yet. All this amazing series has been given is a shitty movie.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - I am still SO SALTY that this was supposed to be a TV show and then they were all like, "LOL NEVER MIND" so then it wasn't a TV show. Granted, I watched the pilot and I don't think that particular TV show would have done this series justice, but I still think this book deserves a chance to be a beautiful. heartbreaking television show.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - This is the first book in a companion series, and I think if you take all the books in the series and put them on the same timeline (as in, all the books taking place at the same time rather than each book taking place after the previous book in the series) it could make a really fantastic TV show. All the characters are complex and interesting and dealing with some really heavy shit.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - This is another series with so many complexities and intricacies that trying to fit it into a movie is going to turn out awful. But of course, they tried to turn it into a movie, and it was awful. Now imagine if it had been a TV show, and writers had sufficient time to explore the world and characters. It would be great. 

Schoolyard Treasures #1

This is a new feature I thought of in class, when I was supposed to be doing something that was not thinking of blog posts. Basically, since school started back up, I know I won't be doing much reading for pleasure, but, as an English major, I will be doing a ton of reading. I wanted to share with you all some of the new authors/stories/etc. I've read for a class and really enjoyed. I love that this gives me a space to talk about classic literature and short stories, which I usually don't talk about. 

Anyway. 

The first schoolyard treasure I've found is a new author...

KATE CHOPIN 

I read a few of her short stories for my modern (1800-present day) American literature class, and thought they were wonderful! I'm not easily impressed by classic literature, but I really enjoyed reading Chopin's work, and I'm definitely going to be seeking out more of her writing. 

What I read: 

- "The Story of an Hour"

- "The Storm"

- "Desiree's Baby"

What I liked:

These short stories are fairly short, quick reads, but they are packed with so many important details. In all of these stories, there is a twist at the end that I never see coming, but when I go back and re-read the stories, I see that all the clues are there! And while she writes about the oppression of women in her time, she does so differently than many other authors. She does not make the men out to be monsters or even ill-intentioned. Also, her work was often considered controversial. In some stories, she actually portrayed sex for women as a liberating and pleasant event. 

Then I found a short story that I loved! 

THE YELLOW WALL-PAPER BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN

This story is so freaking creepy and it gave me the chills. It's the first classic story I've read that examines mental health so explicitly. I'm gonna probably re-read this in October, and make my roommate read it too, because it's so interesting and well-written. 

HAVE YOU READ THIS AUTHOR OR SHORT STORY? WHAT DID YOU THINK? ALSO, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE CREEPY STORY RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE I'M FEELING THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT.

August Recap

Well, summer has come and gone, and now I'm back at school. kicking off my junior year of college. I'm about a week in and I'm already dead. College is so non-stop. I feel like I have very few moments to myself, and very few moments to myself in which I am not working on homework. Now, my best friend and I live in an on-campus apartment so everyone wants to come over all the time and our other roommate (who we didn't know) hate us because we're so loud.

ALSO ALSO ALSO I ALMOST FORGOT!! I went to a Twenty One Pilots concert and my oh my was that glorious. Twenty One Pilots is my favorite band in the whole wide world and now that I've seen them live, I will never be the same.

My blog got a makeover!!! I did it a few weeks ago, but I'm still obsessed with it. I loved my old design when I first created it, several years ago. But I've changed and my blog has developed, and it was time for something new. I was scared to change it at first, but I'm extremely pleased now that I have. 

As far as reading goes, August was not the best month. Not the worst month, either. But not the best. Blogging is a different story. In August, I blogged more than I have any other month since I started my blog. I did my best to have a post go up every day, but there were a few days in which that just didn't happen. 

Reviews:

Top Ten Tuesdays:  Top Ten Books I'd Buy Right This Second If Someone Handed Me A Fully Loaded Gift Card Top Ten Books I Want To Re-Read Top Ten Books With A Memorable Setting Top Ten Books On My TBR From Before I Started Blogging Top Ten Books I'd Keep In My Classroom
Summer Blog Promo Tour:  Valerie from He Said Books Or Me: Memoirs Krystianna from Downright Dystopian: Doctor Who Soundtrack Wrap Up!
Misc. Posts:  The Eclectic Corner #4: Scary Movies Book Blogger Creativity Project: Bookish Yearbook Discussion: Taking Notes While Reading Playlist Book Tag The Authors I Own The Most Books From Book Aesthetics #1: Summer Books Help me save my blog!!!

I love thinking of new features for this blog, and it has been a while since I implemented any of the new ideas I've had, but in August I started doing...

I've seen people around twitter doing aesthetics for basically everything, including books, and I wanted to give it a try! If you don't know, a book aesthetic is basically putting together pictures that remind you of the book (the colors on the cover, the vibe it gives off, events from the book). I'm not great at it now, but I think I'll get better! 
HERE IS MY FIRST BOOK AESTHETICS POST
I decided to compile an aesthetic for 3 books that take place in summer, as I'm back at school and lamenting the loss of my laziness. 

Followers: 

Bloglovin - 74 (gained 7)

GFC - 16 (gained 0) 

Twitter - 203 (gained 22)

Instagram - 55 (gained 6)

Facebook - 4 likes (gained 0)

YouTube - 81 (gained 8)

Total pageviews - 11,835 (gained 1,925)

Books read: 3

1 paperback, 2 eARCs

Book with the most pages: Beyond the Red by Ava Jae (360 pages)

Books with the least pages: A Monster Calls (216 pages)

Total Pages read: 904

Books reviewed: 6

1 star reviews: 0

2 star reviews: 0

3 star reviews: 2

3.5 star reviews: 1

4 star reviews: 2

4.5 star reviews: 1

5 star reviews: 0

Average rating: 3.67 stars

Most popular review:

by pageviews and comments- 

BookTube: 

Here is my most popular video this month! I'll be (ideally) posting twice a week. Make sure to subscribe to me if you want to stay updated on when and what I post! If you have a YouTube channel, send me your link because I wanna see whatchya got!

Music: 

As I mentioned earlier, I went to a Twenty One Pilots concert this month, and so I kind of don't want to listen to anything else at the moment. 

TV: 

I finished Glee and I've been so emotionally torn apart by it that I'm left to re-binge watch Gossip Girl. Also, I'v started re-watching American Horror Story in preparation for season 6. I'M SO EXCITED HOLY CRAP ON A CRAP CONE. 

Movies: 

So, I watched Sausage Party this month. Uh, well. I'm not sure what to say about it. I thought it was clever and hilarious and utterly disturbing (but what else do you expect from a Seth Rogen movie???). If you're into really abrasive & inappropriate humor, this is the movie for you!!! Just be warned, there is a reason this movie is rated R.