Top Ten Backlist Books I Need To Read ASAP

(This meme is actually hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl now, but I am far too lazy to make a new graphic)

I have been an advocate for reading backlist titles for a while now. But studying abroad has given me very limited access to new releases, so my reading endeavors are going to be largely focused on backlist books for the next few months. Here are the ones I really need to get to! 

1) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - Okay, I don't know that I actually have any interest in reading this novel or series at all, but it's so popular I feel like I at least need to give it a try? I have a weird, inexplicable aversion to Sarah J. Maas, though, so I'm not sure if this will happen or not.

2) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - I think I might be the only person left on this planet who hasn't read this novel, but that will change soon enough!

3) Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry - I've been obsessed with Katie McGarry since I read an ARC of her debut years and years ago, and now that Scribd has given me access to her new series I am ABOUT IT.

4) The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski - I've been really interested in this series for a while and I've heard good things about it. It definitely sounds like the kind of fantasy book I would devour.

5) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - Everyone raves about this book! And it sounds so fascinating. I can't wait to see what all the hype is about.

6) The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - I've never read anything by Kasie West, which is absurd to me, considering she writes exactly the kind of books I live for. I'm not committed to this book being my first Kasie West book, so if you think I should read another one instead, lemme know.

7) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - This is another novel I have heard everyone talk about for YEARS. I have no idea what it's about, really, or if it's even my kind of book, but I need to give it a shot!

8) Made You Up by Francesca Zappia - Zappia's newest release received a lot of love and attention, so I'm interested in giving her work a try. Also, this sounds like a heavier contemporary novel, which I always love.

9) Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - This novel sounds WONDERFUL and something that will inspire me and that I'll be able to relate to. Plus, with a film in the works, I neeeeed to read it.

10) Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - I'm currently reading the first novel in the series, and I don't know if I'm going to jump into the sequel right away, but I definitely need to read the entire trilogy. I'm horrible at finishing series, but I can do this!

Top Ten Books That Surprised Me

(This meme is actually hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl now, but I am far too lazy to make a new graphic)

As devoted readers, I think that we tend to have a pretty good idea of which books we will enjoy and which books we won't, but occasionally a book comes along and surprises us--which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I present to you five books that I liked much more than I expected and 5 books I disliked more than I expected. 

1) Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman - Whenever there is a lot of hype surrounding a book, I try to brace myself for disappointment, but this novel exceeded my expectations. It is addicting and fun and I fell in love with the characters. 

2) Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally - I'd read some of Kenneally's other books in this series, and while they were okay, they were nothing worth raving about (for me--other people adore them!). However, I really enjoyed this one! I thought it had depth and lots of kissing and really good messages. 

3) Caraval by Stephanie Garber - This is another book I was hesitant to read because of the hype but it completely stole my heart. It was an emotional roller coaster. The whole novel kept me engaged and eager to find out what happens next. 

4) Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin - I didn't know what to expect from this one, but it was gritty and interesting and had fascinating, unique formatting. 

5) And I Darken by Kiersten White - This one was completely unexpected. I'm not really one for historical fiction or dense YA novels, which this one definitely is, but I fell so in love with the characters and the story. I couldn't stop talking about it for months! 

1) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I can't even put my finger on what was disappointing about this. I ate it up in like one sitting, but, in retrospect, it just wasn't that riveting. 

2) The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder - I was expecting something beautiful and poignant with a premise that sounded interesting and magical. That's not what I got. The emotion in this book was unconvincing and the protagonist was infuriating. I was completely unsatisfied at the end of this novel. 

3) Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - I thought the first book in the series was really interesting and I was invested in the characters, but this sequel was boring and painful to get through. The ending picked up a bit, but not enough. 

4) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - This book just reeks of creepiness and darkness and FUN, but it was really slow. And not really creepy. 

5) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Maybe it's my fault for letting the hype get to me, but I was completely underwhelmed by this book. Again, the ending was pretty good, but it was such a struggle to get through like 2/3 of it. 

Top Ten Books I Want To Read This Summer

I finished my junior year of college a couple weeks ago, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to relax and have some quality reading time. There are so many books I want to devour this delightful summer season, but here are a mere ten I definitely plan to get to!

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - I am OBSESSED with this TV show, so I have to be a true fan and read the source material. Also, one of my good friends wants me to read the books so we can talk about them, and I have to perform my friend duties, ya dig?

It by Stephen King - I never watched the original film, but the new one looks like it's going to be frickly frackin fantastic, so I gotta prepare!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - Yes, yes, yes. The book came out in paperback so I finally caved in and bought it.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL LIL BABY IN MY POSSESSION

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen - ODOGONGVO[IDFGHO[IFJH IRUHNOFJAPOIS YOU BETER BELIEVE THE DAY THIS COMES OUT I WILL SHUT OUT THE WORLD BECAUSE I AM SO RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate - I have been very excited about this book since the second I heard about this and I cannot wait to settle into it.

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - I don't know what is taking me so long to read this because I really enjoyed Red Queen. Now that King's Cage is out and I OWN IT, I should probably get caught up.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston - I loved what I read from Ashley Poston in the past, so I was already really siked for this book. But now I've heard so many wonderful things about it and it just sounds like a great summer read!

Emma by Jane Austen - I have this STUNNING Penguin Threads edition and I love Jane Austen and I need to read more classics on my own.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - Fun story: I am like 99.9% certain I bought this book in the past few months but I HAVE NO IDEA where it is. The day I find it I will be so excited because it's so pretty and also I have been DYING to read it.

WHAT BOOKS DO YOU WANT TO READ THIS SUMMER?

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! 

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?

Twenty One Pilots Book Tag

Hello hello! As you may or may not know, I am in love with the band Twenty One Pilots. I was watching a booktube video last night that was a Taylor Swift book tag (I don't remember whose video it was--sorry!), and it inspired me to combine my love of books and TOP by making a book tag!

The Pantaloon - A book set in a different time period

"You have learned 

way too soon;

 you should never trust the pantaloon."

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

This book takes place during Blackbeard's teen years, so the late 1600's. It's a really fantastic imagining of what caused the infamous Blackbeard to be so dang swashbuckly. 

Addict With A Pen - A series you wish had more books

"I'm only at it again as an addict with a pen."

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

This was such an easy pick for me, because Vampire Academy is my favorite series of all time, and I don't think there could ever be too many books in this series. I know that there is a spin-off, but it's not the same. I want to read about Rose and Dimitri and Christian Ozera. I think that there could be a whole other series about what it's like for Rose to be the Queen's guardian. 

Ride - A book that took you a long time to finish

"I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride."

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I just finished this book recently, and it took me over 2 weeks to read. I kept putting it aside for days at a time, and oftentimes when I would pick it up, I'd only read a few pages before putting it back down. I ultimately enjoyed it, but it was a slow go for me. 

House of Gold - A book with gold on the cover

"She asked me, 'Son, when I grow old,

Will you buy me a house of gold?

And when your father turns to stone,

Will you take care of me?'

I will make you queen of everything you see,

I'll put you on the map,

I'll cure you of disease."

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is a little off topic, but I didn't realize how much I love pairing this song with this book until I was prowling my Goodreads shelves for a book with gold on the cover. While this song sounds like it would be happy, it's actually about wishing for a good life, wishing you could have what you want, but being smart enough to realize that's not how life works. I just realized how fitting it is.

Tear In My Heart - A book that has a really great romance

"She's the tear in my heart, I'm alive,

She's the tear in my heart, I'm on fire,

She's the tear in my heart, Take me higher,

Than I've ever been."

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Y'all, I adore this book with every fiber of my being. I loved watching Echo and Noah's relationship grow from dislike to a deep, life-altering love. Their chemistry just burns through the pages, and they help each other grow and face their demons. 

Ode To Sleep - A book that you stayed up all night reading

"I'll stay awake,

'Cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight."

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

This book started off kinda slow, but I became so sucked into the characters and the writing that I couldn't put it down! 

Fake You Out - A book with an ending you didn't see coming

"And I'll fall down

And I'll break down

And I'll fake you out

All I wanna"

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

This is still one of my favorite books ever, and I think that has a lot to do with the ending. I never could have seen that coming,and it turned me into an emotional wreck when I finished the novel. 

Not Today - A book you keep putting off reading

"Heard you say, 'not today,'

Tore the curtains down, windows open now, make a sound,

Heard your voice, 'there's no choice,'

Tore the curtains down, windows open now, make a noise."

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

So I bought this book and got really excited about reading it. I started reading it a few days ago and was pretty into it, but for some reason I just keep putting off reading any more of it, and I don't even know why. 

So there it is! The Twenty One Pilots book tag! I know when you make a book tag, you're supposed to tag people, but I'm not sure how many of you lovely people listen to TOP. So, I tag all of you. If you want to do this tag, please do! And leave the link down in the comments so I can check it out.