Top Ten Books That Take Place Outside The U.S.

When I first read the topic for this week, I thought it was going to be a challenge. I didn't think I'd read that many books that take place in other countries, but I was delightfully surprised to find out that's not entirely true. I was also surprised to find out how many books I've read that take place in England! That said, I limited the amount of England-setting books I could include on this list, but believe me, there are several other lovely novels I could have chosen. I also did not include fantasy settings that aren't real places, because that's cheating.

What's crazy to me is that I have actually been to a couple of these countries, and that in a few days, I'll be headed to even more of them!!!

1) Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm | Scotland | This novel is so fluffy and adorable and completely underrated. We get to meet (fictional) Scottish royalty and explore hidden passages in Scottish castles and learn about traditional Scottish celebrations. If you're looking for a quick, delightful little romance to read, this is the book for you.

2) Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch | Ireland | Maybe this is cheating because at the time of writing this post, I'm about halfway through this novel, but I don't care. Ireland is the very first country outside of the U.S. that I had the pleasure of visiting. The first scene in this novel takes place at the Cliffs of Moher, which was my favorite place in Ireland. Already this novel makes me want to go back to the Emerald Isle.

3) Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley | Australia | This book isn't about tourists visiting Australia, so the setting doesn't play a HUGE role, but this is one of my all-time favorite contemporary novels and, again, completely underrated.

4) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows | England | I don't even know that I need to explain this novel, because we all know that this book was an absolute blast to read. It rewrites a little bit of English history, and has fun doing it.

5) Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon | Brazil | This graphic novel actually visits and beautifully illustrates several countries, but it takes place primarily in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This graphic novel is stunning and thought-provoking and completely worth reading whether you enjoy graphic novels or not.

6) Blood Promise by Richelle Mead | Russia | I couldn't not include a book from my favorite series of all-time. It was so refreshing to get away from St. Vlad's in this installment and roam Russia.

7) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes | England | First and foremost, I understand that this novel is considered problematic by some, but I adore it. The setting kind of plays a big role in this novel and at the same time doesn't, but we also get to visit Mauritius for a little while, which is a beautiful country in East Africa.

8) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | France | I think this one was a given. This novel is so cute and allows us to explore the romantic city of Paris (which I will be going to next week!!!!!!!!!!!).

9) And I Darken by Kiersten White | Turkey | This novel takes place in the time of the Ottoman Empire, and it is so dark and lush and a truly fascinating read.

10) Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch | Italy | Italy had always been my #1 desired traveling destination, and this novel completely charmed me when I read it, and made me desperately want to try gelato in Italy. Now I have tried gelato in Italy, and I can confidently say it lived up to the hype. I''ll actually be on my way to Florence when you all are reading this, which is crazy! My friends and I are planning to do a gelato crawl, which is like a pub crawl but better.

Top Ten Book Boyfriends of 2016

I love me some swoon-worthy fictional boys. Here are my favorites that I met in 2016. 

Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - He is probably my #1 book boyfriend of the year. He is so sweet and nerdy and I'M IN COLLEGE AND HAVEN'T MET ANYONE LIKE HIM THIS IS UNFAIR.

Eros from Beyond the Red by Ava Jae - He is loyalty and bravery and stubborness and flaws and I can't wait for the sequel when I get to see more of himmmmmm.

Jack from Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - He is misguided, but overall caring and sweet. It was adorable to read his thoughts about Libby and the dates he took her on. Jealous, honestly.

G from My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows - OH LORD I LOVE G. He is so freaking funny and clever and when he gets really worried about Jane it is the most precious thing my heart has ever felt.

Frank from Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - He's such a sweet lil cinnamon roll. He cares about the environment and being a good guy and I never thought I'd find anyone named Frank appealing, that's for sure.

Will Traynor from Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - I CAN'T TALK ABOUT HIM. Except I adore him. As problematic as his story may be, I found Will himself to be utterly charming and, even in his sassiest moment, an absolute delight.

Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - I liked him more than the beloved Mr. Darcy, I think. So do with that information what you will.

Clark from The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - He's a WRITER!!!! And a precious little bean who never had friends growing up and it's impossible, if you ask me, not to fall in love with him over the course of the novel.

Captain from Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell - Naughty? Nice? Who knows. All I can say is that he is a HANDSOME PIRATE WHO HAS STOLEN MY HEART.

Dimitri Belikov from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Okay, okay, I know this is cheating because this is, like, my trillionth time reading this book, BUT in the 10th anniversary edition we got new stories with him in them, so I'd say it counts. I can't leave out my all-time bae, okay?

Top Ten Books I Read In 2016

I'm pretty sure I read a lot more books this year than I did last year, and some of them were real winners! It was hard for me to decide on my ten favorites, but these really take the cake! Though, the year is not over yet, so hopefully I still have a few winners left to read. These are in no particular order.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - I read the first two volumes of this graphic novel series, and it is so interesting, and so fun!

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - This was my first Matson book and she quickly became one of my favorite authors! The story was fun and the friendship aspect was incredible. Also, I related to the protagonist, like, A SHIT TON. My review.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - This book got me really interested in fantasy! I loved the premise and I found this book to be incredibly addicting! My review.

My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows - This is my most recent read, and it is utterly delightful!!!! Cute and magical and SO MUCH FUN.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - I read this in anticipation for the movie, and it was AMAZING. It was poignant and beautiful and memorable. I think everyone should read this! My review.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - This is another winner by Matson! Dogs and a hot writer boy and a nice lil father-daughter relationship. This is officially my second favorite Matson novel. My review.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - This is no doubt in my top three of the year. I loved the movie and I loved the book and I cried the ugliest cry anyone ever done did cry. This story and these characters hold a very special place in my heart. My review.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - This is the first audiobook I ever listened to, as I lounged by the pool in summer. So I was bound to love it no matter what. That notwithstanding, though, this book was absolutely lovely. I don't know that I've ever related more to a character than I related with Cath. Now where's my Levi????

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae - This book was such a pleasant surprise! I did not expect to love it as much as I did. It was action-packed and steamy and I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO READ THIS BOOK. My review.

And I Darken by Kiersten White - I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK omg omg omg omg omg omg!!!! My review

What are your favorite books of 2016?

Christmasing Book Titles

Christmas is tomorrow!!!!! Holy crap!!!!!! In an effort to get you as utterly excited as I am (and if you're already excited, at least fuel the fire a little bit), I've taken the liberty of Christmasifying some book titles (and adjusting the covers accordingly)!

Some of these are better than others, I know.

ME BEFORE YULETIDE BY JOJO MOYES

in which a twenty-something woman transforms from unemployed and overly cautious to unemployed and a little adventurous thanks to Christmas magic. 

AMY AND ROGER'S EGGNOG DETOUR BY MORGAN MATSON

in which two teens on their way to Grandma's house go out of their way to find a grocery store and get some eggnog. 

BEYOND THE RED NOSE REINDEER BY AVA JAE

in which Rudolph struggles to be more than what the media portrays

NORTHANGEL ABBEY BY JANE AUSTEN

in which an English girl is convinced there is an angel lurking the halls of her friend's mansion

A COURT OF TINSEL AND RIBBONS BY SARAH J. MAAS

in which a malicious Christmas elf is very protective of his pretty decorations

LITTLE BLACK DRESSES, LITTLE WHITE LIGHTS BY LAURA STAMPLER

in which a trendy teenager struggles for hours to untangle a strand of Christmas lights

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PRETTY CAROLS BY RANSOM RIGGS

in which only the best singers are privy to this strange home as they use their angelic voices to defeat grinches everywhere

A MISTLETOE CALLS BY PATRICK NESS

in which a young boy fights the urge to kiss meet his first crush under the mistletoe for his first kiss

ALL THE BRIGHT POINSETTIAS BY JENNIFER NIVEN

in which readers will learn everything there is to know about poinsettias. 

THE FRUITCAKE IN OUR STOCKING BY JOHN GREEN

in which two teenagers receive fruitcake so horrible they both fall ill

WE OWN THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS BY ASHLEY POSTON

in which all through the house, not a creature was stirring...except a group of mischievous teens desperate to find out what presents await for them under the tree. 

Just a note: this post was not meant to be making fun of these books in any way whatsoever. These are all books I really enjoyed reading and I had a lot of fun thinking about what their Christmased version would be. 

I want to hear your Christmased book titles. 
Bonus points if you tell me what the book would be about! 

Playlist Book Tag

I'm so excited that Anna from Adventures With A Book Nerd tagged me to do this! It gives me a chance to talk about MUSIC AND BOOKS AT THE SAME TIME! Originally started on YouTube by Little Red Reader, the rules of this tag are simple: Put your music on shuffle and you pick a book for each song that comes on. I'm pretty sure you get to pick any number of songs that you want? Okay, here we gooooo!

1) All or Nothing - Theory Of A Dead Man

Since I said I loved you in Las Vegas

It's never been the same since then

You've got all that I need

Looking at all or nothing

Babe it's you and I

With you I know

I am good for something

So lets go give it a try

We got our backs against the ocean

It's just us against the world

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

I actually heard this song for the first time in a Vampire Academy fan video about Rose and Adrian and YES. Ever since then, it has always reminded me of their relationship, about how much Adrian wants Rose even though she's still in love with Dimitri. Holy crap I need to re-read this series. 

2) Saying Goodbye - Every Avenue

I know it was wrong of me to try to throw this all away

So if you give it just one more try

I'll give you everything you need

She said

"Just tell me what changed your mind, what brought you back to me?"

And I said

I thought a lot about the summers passed

Your hair in your eyes

And how we spent the whole night saying goodbye

Saying goodbye

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

BELLY & CONRAD

That's all I have to say. 

3) Holding On To You - Twenty One Pilots

I'm taking over my body,

Back in control, no more shotty,

I bet a lot of me was lost,

Ts uncrossed and Is undotted,

I fought it a lot

And it seems a lot like flesh is all I got,

Not anymore, flesh out the door...

You are surrounding all my surroundings,

Sounding down the mountain range of my left-side brain,

You are surrounding all my surroundings,

Twisting the kaleidoscope behind both of my eyes.

And I'll be holding on to you

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This song was actually really tough to fit a book to, but after staring at it a while I realized this reminds me a lot of Augustus and Hazel's fight with their bodies and their desire to make a difference, be remembered. 

4) The Judge - Twenty One Pilots

But I'm not good with directions and I hide behind my mouth,

I'm a pro at imperfections and I'm best friends with my doubt,

And now that my mind's out, and now I hear it clear and loud,

I'm thinking, "Wow, I probably shoulda stayed inside my house."

I found my way,

Right time, wrong place,

As I pled my case.

You're the judge, oh no, set me free,

You're the judge, oh no, set me free,

I know my soul's freezing,

Hell's hot for good reason, so please,

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

This song reminds me a lot of Will's inner turmoil and his struggle to come to terms with his new physical state.

5) Walking in the Wind - One Direction

We had some good times, didn't we?

We wore our hearts out on our sleeve

Goodbyes are bittersweet

But it's not the end

I'll see your face again

You will find me

Yeah you will find me

In places that we've never been

For reasons we don't understand

Walking in the wind

Walking in the wind

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

When trying to match this song to a book, my very first thought was the ending of this book, where Emily and Sloane left their friendship. 

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it was a lot of fun. I'll definitely be thinking of these songs differently every time I listen to them. I might do this again some time. (Let me know if you like this post so I know if I should do it again).

I know this is a tag and I'm supposed to tag people, but I always feel awkward tagging people, so if you want to do this, DO IT. And you can link it down below because I want to see it! 

BBCP: Bookish Yearbook

You've probably heard of/been shown extreme kindness by Nori, the infamous poodle from ReadWriteLove28. Wellll, she is hosting this marvelous event to inspire book bloggers to have fun, work together, and create an original feature.

In honor of the new school year fast approaching, my group decided to do a bookish yearbook, with superlatives and "yearbook quotes." I know some people in the group chose books from the previous academic year, but I just picked books I read within the last year or so.

Here's our schedule:
Monday, August 8th: Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Tuesday, August 9th: Charleigh @ Charleigh's Book Nook
Wednesday, August 10th: Lefty @ The Left-Handed Book Lover
Thursday, August 11th: Cheyenne @ Once Upon a Time a Review
Friday, August 12th: Nori @ Read Write Love 28
Saturday, August 13th: Karla @ Reads and Thoughts

Follow along to see everyone's answers! 

I'm so proud of myself and my group for coming up with this feature. Collaborating with an eclectic group of people can be problematic and frustrating at times, but I'm extremely pleased with what we've produced! 

goodreads | my review

Although even in the beginning it was obvious Lena did not completely buy into her society's beliefs, she still wanted to. She was scared and she played by the rules, but as the book and the series progresses we get to see her blossom, embrace love and feelings and freedom. The Lena she is in the beginning of the novel is unrecognizable compared to the Lena she becomes. 

goodreads | my review

This was soooo tough, but I made sure to pick a book I've read recently without repeating myself. This book has such pretty colors and a pretty font and this cover is truly underrated. 

goodreads | my review

This book is the very definition of eclectic characters! There are kids who can levitate and be invisible and create fire. If that's not a motley crew, I don't know what is. 

website

Okay, so I took a long break from blogging and when I came back, all of a sudden there was this author named Victoria Aveyard EVERYWHERE. Everyone had read Red Queen and most people loved it. I felt so out of the loop and knew that I needed to get on top of this book PRONTO. 

goodreads | my review

Okay, to say this ending was unexpected would be a lie. I knew things weren't going to end well for our protagonists (it's written in history) but I still had my fingers crossed that it WOULDN'T end the way it did and of course I had my heart broken. 

goodreads

Lara Jean basically epitomizes "the girl next door." She is sweet and innocent. And she's the girl who has always been around but you never think much of but then you get to know her and she's just awesome! 

goodreads | my review

This book was definitely EVERYWHERE when it was released. Even people who don't usually read contemporary or people who had never read anything by Morgan Matson ended up picking this book up because buzz buzz buzzzzzz.

goodreads

I don't care what anyone says, Levi is my book boyfriend of the year so far. He's kind & friendly to everyone and a bit of a nerd and just mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

goodreads | my review

Will I ever stop raving about this book? NO BECAUSE IT'S FRICKLY FRACKLY INCREDIBLE. I'm pretty sure I mention it in at least one post a week and tweet about it EVERY DAY. There's stabbing & kissing & unconventional gender roles whoooooooooooooooooo! I cannot wait to see where this story goes next after dat ending. 

goodreads

This book isn't even out yet and everyone loves it. I have no doubt this book is going to be successful, especially given the love for Marissa Meyer's other series. 

goodreads | my review

I'm straight up obsessed with this book. This is my favorite book by Morgan Matson and one of my favorite books that I've read this year. 

goodreads | my review

Idk why there aren't more people talking about this book. It's fantastic. It's all dark and pirate-y. Who is the good guy, who is the bad guy? Who do you trust in this dark rendition of Neverland??? YOU HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT.

website

My queen forever and always. Saint Anything, her newest release, was 100% A+ perfect. Like, every time she releases a new book I get nervous because I feel like there is no way she can top the beautiful work she has already done but then she goes and DOES IT. 

goodreads | my review

No explanation required. 

goodreads | my review

Don't get me wrong--I loved this book, but there are some events that transpire toward the end that made me wat to HURL THIS BOOK ACROSS THE ROOM. I was shocked and sad. But I can say no more because spoilers and all that. 

Which of these choices do you agree with/disagree with? What books/authors/characters would you have put in this bookish yearbook?

Top Ten Books That Take Place Outside The U.S.

Compiling this list made me realize 2 things: 1) I need to read more books that are set outside the U.S. and 2) I've actually read more than I thought.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen - This is a Robin Hood retelling and it takes place in Nottingham, England. It's a really fantastic book that I highly recommend--if you want some reasons you should read it, check out my Flashback Friday post!

Just One Day by Gayle Forman - A big portion of this book takes place in Paris. While I found the sequel to be a lil bit draggy, this one definitely inspired my wanderlust, with all its adventure and foreign romance.

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead - This is the 4th book in the Vampire Academy series (AKA MY FAVORITE SERIES EVER), and it is the only book that takes place primarily in Russia. So, yeah, read this series, basically.

Anna and the French Kiss - I don't even need to say anything about this one.

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell - This book starts out in London and takes us to a dark version of Neverland, which, yes, I know that's a fictional land, but it's not in the U.S. so it counts. This book deserves way more attention than it gets, imo. If you want more of my opinions, you can check out my review!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Jane Austen is everything to me. Her books are fantastic, even if you're not big on reading classics. Her social satire is brilliant.

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman - If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you've probably seen me talk about this book a ton already. It's a Blackbeard pre-pirate origin story set in Bristol, England, that will just crush your heart. More of my thoughts can be found in this here review of mine!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - It's no secret I've been obsessed with this book from the second I watched the movie (yes, I watched the movie before reading the book). This is in the top 3 of my favorite books I've read this year. I'm not sure where exactly it takes place, but it takes place in the UK. You can read about how much I love it in my review!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - I personally like this series better than her TMI series. The Infernal Devices take place in Victorian London, and if you don't already know about these books who even are you??

And I Darken by Kiersten White - Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows how much I love this book because I couldn't stop tweeting about it after I read it. This novel takes place primarily at the Ottoman courts (and if you're like me and know nothing about history/geography--that's in Turkey (don't judge me, I had to google it)). It's a re-imagining of what things would be like if Vlad the Impaler were female, and you don't have to be into history to enjoy this book, I assure you. If you're interested in this novel, I encourage you to check out my review!

What are some bomb.com books you've read that take place somewhere that isn't the U.S.?

June Recap

Let's take a gander at my month, shall we? 

It's mostly just been a very relaxing, lazy month for me. I've done a little bit of working (I just fill in for people at a restaurant if someone calls off), but not too much. I've hung out with friends, lounged by the pool, and did some reading! 

So, I'm pretty sure this has been my best blogging month since I've started this blog, and that makes me so happy. I've had the time that I've always wanted to dedicate to my blog lately. 

Reviews: 

Top Ten Tuesdays: Top Ten (5) Reasons I Love Book Blogging Top Ten (3) 2016 Releases So Far Top Ten Series With The Prettiest Covers
Features:  Flashback Friday #5 (and giveaway): Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen Just Write #3
Discussions & Misc posts: My Biggest Distractions From Reading and Blogging Twenty One Pilots Book Tag Lessons I've Learned from Bookstagram Goodreads as Social Media

Followers: 

Bloglovin - 58 (gained 24)

GFC - 14 (gained 6) 

Twitter - 121 (gained 51)

Instagram - 41 (gained 27)

Facebook - 3 like (gained 2)

YouTube - 31 (gained 31)

Total pageviews - 7252

Books read: 6

3 paperbacks | 2 eARCs | 1 audiobook

Book with the most pages: And I Darken by Kiersten White (498 pages) 

Books with the least pages: We Own the Night by Ashley Poston (250 pages)

Books reviewed: 6

1 star reviews: 0

1.5: 1

2 star reviews: 0

3 star reviews: 1

3.5: 1

3.75: 1

4 star reviews: 0

5 star reviews: 2

Average rating: 3.63

Most popular review:

by pageviews -

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

by comments - 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Last month's TBR:

I read 3/5 books that I planned to read in June, which I'm fairly proud of. 

This month's TBR: 

Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally | Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler | Psi Another Day by D.R. Rosensteel | Live and Let Psi by D.R. Rosensteel

BookTube: 

Here is my most popular video this month! I'll be (ideally) posting twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. 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: 

HOLY COW GUYS!!! Twenty One Pilots released their new single for the Suicide Squad movie. It;s called Heathens and it is INCREDIBLE. 

TV:  Surprisingly, I've laid off the TV a lot lately. I've been focusing more on reading, my blog, and youtube channel. However, I did watch the new season of Orange is the New Black and WOAH.  I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but what an emotional journey. I cannot wait until next season!!!

What has your month looked like?