Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR

My reading situation is a bit weird right now since I'm studying abroad and I didn't bring any books with me, so I'll be relying on the books on my kindle. I also don't plan to buy many books because I don't want to take them back to the US with me, even though there are so many releases I'm anticipating this year. So, here are the most interesting-looking titles on my Kindle (literally all of these are eARCs I haven't read yet. Whoops!).

1) Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - I read Redgate's Noteworthy last year and I really loved it, so I've been meaning to get to this one for some time now!

2) Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer - This is the only physical book I brought to Europe with me, knowing I'd been approved for the sequel on Netgalley. I've been wanting to read this one since I first heard about it, so I can't wait to get to it!

3) Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen - I adored Gaughen's other novel Scarlet and I've been wanting to pick up something else by her for ages. This sounds like a really interesting fantasy and I hope like heck that it hooks me right on it.

4) Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova - This is yet another book I've been meaning to get to for quite some time. I've heard wonderful things about it, and it seems unlike any other book I've read.

5) The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton - I've heard sooo many good things about this book, and it sounds like a lot of fun.

6) The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell - Oh my gosh, I've been telling myself to read this one for SO LONG. It was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017 and I have no earthly idea why I haven't read it yet??? 

7) Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge - Tbh, I just love the cover. I haven't heard much about this one, but it sounds fun!

8) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert - I actually started this one some time ago and wasn't really hooked, but I am going to try again. I've seen a lot of hype about this book and I want to be in the know, ya know? 

9) More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer - This is the sequel to Letters to the Lost! I'm really counting on loving that one and then loving this one, too. 

10) Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett - This will probably be my next read. I really loved Bennett's previous novel Alex, Approximately, so I squealed a lil bit when I got approved for this one. I could always use a solid contemporary novel. 

Books I Started But Didn't Finish In 2017

(Okay so this isn't really a best-of list, but I'm too lazy to make another graphic)

We've all been there before: You start a book but you get distracted by another read and never open it again. You're not in the mood for your current read. Maybe it's just not hooking you. Unfortunately, starting books but not finishing them happens, and in 2017 it happened quite frequently for me.

The following books, I do not necessarily consider DNF books because I do want to finish them one day, but that day was not in 2017.

1) Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman 

Everybody loves this book. And it's a contemporary. And it has an interesting premise. And a disabled love interest. It sounds like this book would be a total love match for me, but I just wasn't connecting to it when I was reading it. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it at the time???? I got 25% of the way through it. 

2) Duplicity by N.K. Traver

I got a free audiobook from the author for review. I would listen to it as I walked or laid out by the pool but one day I just never went back to it. Granted, it wasn't the best book or narrator, at least so far. However, my fitire holds a lot of bus & train rides so maybe I will give it another shot on one of those rides. 

3) The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

I hate having this one on the list because this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017. I read only the beginning, and I reallllllly liked it, but it was the summer and I was lounging by the pool and I just wanted to read quick contemporaries. And then I never resumed this one. BUT 2018 WILL BE THE YEAR I READ IT. 

4) 26 Kisses by Anna Michels 

Speaking of quick contemporaries, this, apparently, was not the one I was after. It's not that it was bad...it just wasn't speaking to my heart, so I just forgot to pick it up ever again. I would like to read the entire thing one day, though, just for the sake of completion. 

5) Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Oh lordy I was PUMPED for this novel. I got about halfway through it before I just...stopped reading it. It's not that it was bad, but I think I was expecting a more fast-paced, addicting, romantic read like Ahdieh's other work. It just wasn't giving me what I wanted at the time, but it is still probably a worthwhile read and I think going into it with adjusted expectations will help. 

6) Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me by Carrie DiRisio

When I first discovered the Brooding YA Hero twitter account, I thought it was satirical gold, but by the book came out, I think I was just over it. It stopped being clever and became redundant, and reading the book was just a bit much. Also, I received an e-galley that had some really awful formatting, so that made the experience even more unpleasant. This is one I really truly don't know if I'll ever read in its entirety, but I'm sure it's quick and requires very little brain power, so who knows.

7) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

This one is the most recent, having started it in the later half of January. I wanna love it so bad because everyone loves it and it's about JACK THE RIPPER, who I find fascinating. I just was not connecting. I am 100% going to try again, and probably soon. 

There you have the books I started but never finished in 2017! There might be more, but I took them off my Goodreads shelf, so I don't remember?

WHAT BOOKS DID YOU START BUT NEVER FINISH? DO YOU THINK I NEED TO GIVE ANY OF THESE ANOTHER SHOT IMMEDIATELY?

7 Books I Need To Read Before The End Of The Year

All right, lads and lasses. We are two weeks (!!!!) away from the New Year, and if ya girl wants to complete her Goodreads goal of 50 books, I need to read 7 more books before this year comes to a close. And ya girl wants to reach her goal. I've actually never reached my Goodreads goal before, but by the grace of graphic novels, I'm closer than ever this year, and I gotta cross that finish line.

A book every two days. I can do that. Easy peasy??????

Here are the 7 books I plan to read, selected from the few books I brought to Florida with me and the books that are on my kindle.

1) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

I've heard truly marvelous things about this book and its sequel. I've had this book sitting on my shelf since its release and grabbed it on a whim before leaving for vacation. Also, after a writing project for school I've been especially interested in Jack the Ripper, so it seemed like a perfect read to take with me.

2) To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

This is a book I've been wanting to re-read for quite some time because I wanted a refresher before cracking open the series' newest addition. Plus, I know it will be quick and light and fun. A good time guaranteed. 

3) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert 

I don't know much about this one, but I feel like I've heard some positive reviews and I have an eARC so, ya know, might as well.

4) A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck

Again, I don't know much about this one but it's on my kindle and it is fairly short.

5) The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

This is one of the longer novels on my list, but this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I got an eARC and I never read it and so I'll be very disappointed in myself if I don't finish this one by the end of the year.

6) Kiss Me in New York by Catherine Rider

This is really short and sounds cute. Plus, judging by the cover, it's fairly winter-y and it takes place in New York and it sounds like the perfect recipe for a quick, cute contemporary, which we all know I can't get enough of.

7) Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

Another book I got from NetGalley and have yet to read (I suck, I know). But after re-reading the summary, it sounds interesting as heck and I can't wait to read it. 

ARC August TBR

Hello, lovelies!! My blog has been a bit dry these past few weeks because I haven't had internet access, and blogging from my phone is too frustrating to even try. BUT I AM BACK!! And though August has already started and I'm a little late to the party, I present you all with my ARC August TBR.

For those of you wondering what ARC August is, it's a reading challenge that occurs throughout the entirety of August in which you read as many ARCs as you can, be they upcoming or backlist, physical or electronic--all ARCs are on the table. For more information on the challenge and how to sign up, head over to Read. Sleep. Repeat's lovely blog.

I'm super pumped about ARC August because, let's be honest, there are soooo many books I gotta catch up on.

Okay, okay, now onto my TBR.

PHYSICAL ARCS

Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland
Published: July 11, 2017 by Disney-Hyperion

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
Published: April 4, 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios
Published: June 13, 2017 by Henry Holt & Company Inc

ELECTRONIC ARCS

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
Published: July 18, 2017 by Simon Pulse

Of Jenny and the Aliens by Ryan Gebhart
Published: August 1, 2017 by Candlewick Press

No Good Deed by Kara Connolly
Published: July 18, 2017 by Delacorte Press

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Published: August 29, 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

There you have it! It's not a particularly extensive selection, but I do have non-ARC books I want to read this month as well, so who knows if I'll even get to all of these. The end of August is when school starts up again and I can incredibly busy again, so I'm going to do my best.

Are you participating in ARC August? If so, let me know what you're reading. Also, let me know if you've read any of these books and which ones I should be excited for! 

Top Ten Anticipated Reads In The Second Half Of 2017

WoWzA I can't believe it's already basically June!!!!!! It's kind of scary to realize that the older I get, the quicker time seems to go. And, of course, the more delicious books I want to read that come out. Here are 10 of the many I'm looking forward to during the latter half of the year (and a few from June because they're my most anticipated releases of the year).

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - I am in love with Crowley's Graffiti Moon. It is stunning and wonderful--even the second time I read it. And even if this weren't Cath Crowley, this novel sounds perfect for book lovers!

Warcross by Marie Lu - I've never actually read anything by Marie Lu yet, but I've heard she's great, and this one sounds heckin interesting. I just know it's going to be epic and intense and all sorts of good.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - AHHHHHHH. STEPHANIE PERKINS. HORROR NOVEL. NOR WORDS!!!!

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows - I've only read one of Jodi Meadows's books, but I really enjoyed it. Well, two, if you include My Lady Jane which I loooooooooved. She always has some really interesting ideas and OH YEAH DRAGONS!!!!

Renegades by Marissa Meyer - Okay, I am VERY in love with Heartless. I'm a lil but behind on my Marissa Meyer reading, but eventually I will read EVERYTHING she has ever written. I will blindly trust the woman who brought Jest into my life.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen - I'm so excited for this I could throw up. I might throw up. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell - I absolutely adored Maxwell's Unhooked so I'm 100% hyped for her next release. Also, look at dat cover. Also, New York. Also, magic and thievery.

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano - Again, I've had good experiences with DeStefano in the past, so I'm really looking forward to whatever she's gonna give the world next. I also know she really wanted to incorporate her OCD and anxiety into this book, and I think it's wonderful.

Into the Black by Ava Jae - THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO BEYOND THE RED AND I AM V V V EXCITED. Aliens and steamy romance and princesses oh my!!

Now I Rise by Kiersten White - Well fuck a duck and call it Chuck because I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. If you read my blog/social media this time last year, you'd know I AM ACTUALLY OBSESSED WITH AND I DARKEN and I feel like I've been waiting for this sequel my entire life.

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 Seven Underrated Books I've Read In The Past Year Or So

One of my favorite things to do is push underrated books, so I got really excited about this topic. However, much to my dismay, I could only find seven lesser-known gems taht I've read within the past year to recommend to y'all today.

We Own the Night by Ashley Poston - (my review)
This novel is so sweet. It also has bi representation, and deals with Alzheimer's, body image, and death of a loved one. Very cute and touching. I have been singing this book's praises since the second I finished it, and I wish more people would read it.

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell - (my review)
This book is good as shit, I tell you what. A peter pan retelling of sorts that is vastly different from the tale you probably heard as a kid. With a dark Neverland, a lush romance, and PIRATESSSS, this is not a book you want to sit out.

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer - (my review)
Literally nobody talks about this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The voices of the two protagonists are incredible and funny and HELLO NEW SHIP.

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler - (my review)
This was a fantastic light, fluffy read with a New York City backdrop.

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae - (my review)
THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC. Please, just...more people read it, please. Aliens and romance and non-stop action!!!! The writing is incredible. This deserves way more attention than it has gotten and I can;t wait for the sequel.

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman - (my review)
Oh my oh my do I love this book. I am HIGHLY anticipating the sequel because that ending left me in pieces. And I know the next book is going to be full of all the swashbuckling I crave in YA.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - (my review)
This was actually a recent re-read but it was SO AMAZING and in the entire time it has been out (since 2010 in Aussie and 2012 in the U.S.) I've rarely heard people talking about it, but IT'S BEAUTIFUL and deserves all the love forever and ever.

New To My Wishlist #2

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!

What Light by Jay Asher

Published: October 11, 2016 by Razorbill

Summary from Goodreads:
Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

While I don't love Thirteen Reasons Why as much as a lot of people, I still really enjoyed it and I think Jay Asher is an excellent writer. Plus, CHRISTMAS. <3333

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Published: June 6, 2017 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:
As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen's thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

MY QUEEN SARAH FUCKING DESSEN. Hot diggity damn. I kid you not, I cried when this book was announced because I was (and still am) so excited. And I feel like Dessen's books keep getting better and better and this deals with the world of wedding planning which is really cool and DEAR LORD SOMEONE SAVE MY HEART. How am I going to wait until June?

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
Published: July 18, 2017 by Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads;
Stop the Magician.

Steal the book.

Save the future.

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1901 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

I was thoroughly THOROUGHLY impressed with Maxwell's Unhooked, which released in the beginning of 2016 and now I can't wait to read anything else she writes. Plus, I love anything set in New York. Plus, this just sounds really interesting.

I am very much superdy duperdy excited for these three titles. Do these sound like books you'd want to read? 

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? 

Top Ten Books With A Memorable Setting

So I know that for today's topic I was supposed to pick a specific setting, but that was too difficult so I took a different route.

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider - This will forever be one of the coolest settings of all time--a half-hospital/half-boarding school for teens suffering from a new, incurable strain of tuberculosis.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - I love Gatlin, the southern Gothic town this series takes place in! I really enjoyed learning all the town intricacies and quirks. And, of course, the underground community of witches.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - Who can forget New Pretty Town, a place for all the new Pretties to go and party & live in mansions & drink champagne. They can essentially do whatever they want as long as they don't question the surgery to make them Pretty.

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler - I know that New York City has been written about loads of times, but there was something about this book that really put me in New York and made me feel like I was there. MY REVIEW.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - Not only does this take place in Wales, but it takes place in 1940s Wales with a house full of fantastical creatures. MY REVIEW.

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell - If you want to travel to a dark Neverland that shifts and changes at random, this is the book for you. MY REVIEW.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Cuz Panem.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I just adored reading about the Amsterdam adventures in this book! I'm fairly certain I've never read anything else that takes place in Amsterdam.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - THE LONDON INSTITUTE <33333

And I Darken by Kiersten White - Somehow I always find a way to talk about this book. Because it's fantastic. And part of what makes it so spectacular is the setting. I mean, come on, THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE! MY REVIEW.