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 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 Hope Santa Brings Me

CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Okay, sorry, I just really love Christmas. I'm calm now.

That said, I present to you the books I wish Santa would bring me (but like prolly not because I never get books for Christmas, as sad as that is).

1) Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - Crowley's Graffiti Moon is one of my all-time favorite books and so I was pumped as heck when I saw she was releasing this one. It was one of my most anticipated releases for the year. It sounds so cute and yeah I just really wanna read it.

2) There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - Another one of my most anticipated releases.

3) The Magicians by Lev Grossman - I'm obsessed with the TV series and it doesn't feel right to love it so much without having read the series.

4) Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staple - This is the only book I actually asked for for Christmas because I am obsessed with this graphic novel series and graphic novels are v expensive.

5) Now I Rise by Kiersten White - Annnnd another of my most anticipated releases of the year (see a trend here?). I've made no secret of my love for And I Darken, the first book in the series and I cannot believe I haven't picked this one up yet.

6) Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - I just finished Becky's most recent book and really enjoyed it, and with the movie coming out soon, I need to read this one!! (Plus, NICK ROBINSON my love)

7) Into the Black by Ava Jae - I adored the first book in the series and the sequel's release snuck up on me without me even realizing it.

8) The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - I have heard nothing but fabulous things about this one! It seems like the kind of fun I've been craving since My Lady Jane.

9) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - Another book I've heard a ton of buzz about and it sounds incredibly interesting.

10) Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco - I'm going to be reading the first book in the series very soon so it would be nice to have the sequel on hand the moment I finish.

Sunday Post #32

Books read this week: 

Reviews: 
- Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin (★★★★★)
- Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch (★★★½)
Memes:
- Top Ten Books I've Read In 2017 So Far

Features/misc:
- New To My Wishlist #4
- June Recap

Currently reading:

 Reviews:
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
- Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Memes: 
- Top Ten Books I've Been Meaning To Read But Haven't Yet
- Sunday Post #33

Features/misc.: 
- Discussion: Doing It All In The Book Community
- Would You Rather #4

 Okay, y'all, I got some hecking exciting book mail recently, but I'm holding off sharing it until I can film an unboxing video!!

But.

I did get this one from Netgalley:

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

Here are my favorite photos from this week! Make sure to follow me (@leftyreads) to see everything I post! 

A post shared by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Jun 26, 2017 at 4:29pm PDT

A post shared by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Jun 27, 2017 at 2:29pm PDT

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 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?

Jingle All the Way Book Tag (Original)

IT IS THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS. I REPEAT: IT IS NOW THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS. 

In case anyone was wondering, Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday in the entire world. It is my favorite time of year and I just feel so good and happy around Christmas time. To honor my love of Christmas, I'll be having fun, Christmas-themed posts for ya all week, and I've never been more excited for anything ever. 

For today's post, I've created a book tag, and it revolves around Christmas music! I know there are similar book tags floating around the internet, but I wanted to create my own because I adore Christmas music very mucho. Okay, here we go!! I've really tried not to give the most cliche answers imaginable and I was marginally successful! 

JINGLE BELLS

A fun, light-hearted book/series 

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

This novel is always the very first thing that pops in my head when I think "light-hearted and fun." The characters are so cute and quirky and the story just gives ya good feels all around.

I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUSE

A book/series with a scandalous romance

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Now, I want to be clear that I, by no means whatsoever, think that their relationship is scandalous. However, the people in the book do because of the time period and social customs. So basically, these two characters come from very different backgrounds. Teach has money and power. Anne, on the other hand, is a servant. She has no real home or fortune. Also (and this actually is scandalous to me) Teach is betrothed to another woman. So basically, everybody in their world would be stunned by their relationship but I just think it's really cute and sweet. (Here's my review, in case you were wondering)

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

A book/series you are determined to re-read

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

If I'm being completely honest, I have so so so many things I want to re-read, and I feel like this is such a contrived answer, but I definitely think this series is calling my name the most at the moment (but City of Bones is the only book in the series I don't own--Hooray!!!). I never completed the final book in the series, so I want to do that and then re-read The Infernal Devices and maybe I'll have that all done by the time the third Dark Artifices releases and I can just binge the whole series. 

SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN 

Your most anticipated release of 2017

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

Just so we're all clear, I most likely won't stop talking about this book until it is in my hands in June 2017. As I mentioned in a previous post (like, yesterday) I 100% cried when this book was announced. Happy tears, of course. Sarah Dessen has been sleighing (*ba dum tsss*) me for YEARS and I just know she's not about to stop now.

SILENT NIGHT

A beautiful book/series that everyone knows

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Okay, this question can certainly be interpreted in many ways (beautiful cover, beautiful writing, beautiful story, etc.) but I chose to go with beautiful writing. And while not EVERYONE may know about this book, I'd say it's fairly well-known. This book has the most stunning writing I've ever come across in a novel, I'd say. For more insights into my thoughts you can check out the 61 (Non-Spoilery) Thoughts I Had While Re-Reading Delirium.

WINTER WONDERLAND

A book/series with great worldbuilding

And I Darken by Kiersten White

Hahahaha we all know I love this book because I don't shut up about it (here is my review if you want to know just how much I love it and why). One reason it is so fantastic is that Kiersten White literally puts you in the Ottoman Empire. Like, here I am knowing basically nothing about history (and even less about the history specific to this book) but I felt like I was living there. White's writing is so lush and detailed.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

An underhyped book/series that is so great you want to tell everyone about it

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

This book was a very pleasant surprise and it helped me get out of a reading slump. It is very exciting and well written, not to mention the ALIENS and SOCIAL ISSUES and SLOW-BURN ROMANCE. I really wish more people would read this gem. (My review)

I SAW THREE SHIPS

Favorite trilogy

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

So, fun thing I've realized doing this tag: I've not completed a ton of trilogies. I've started several, I've added several to my TBR, but I've only read a handful of trilogies in their entirety. The ones I have finished were all excellent, which is why I've completed them, I'm sure, but Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me trilogy is one that continues to stick in my head and heart after several years. The beautiful writing and steamy romance have won me over for life, probably.

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER

A book/series with an underdog protagonist who rises up

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I was trying to come up with a less obvious answer, but the truth is that Katniss Everdeen is the very definition of the underdog who rises up. She rises up in the arena, and she rises up in the rebellion. She is the girl on fire, after all.

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS

A book/series that helped you get through troubling times

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

I could write an entire post about this. In fact, I have! Check out the guest post I did over at Book Nerds Across America if you're curious how deeply significant this book is in my life.

Well, there you have it, friends. That's the Jingle All the Way Book Tag! Now to tag people!!

I challenge the following people to do this tag before the year is up!

Kat @ Perks of Being a Book Nerd
Anna @ Adventures with a Book Nerd
Angel Erin @ Angel Erin's Book Obsession
Alyxandria @ The Book's Buzz
Briana @ Pages Unbound

and of course I'd love for anyone else interested to participate as well! Make sure to comment with a link to your post so I can check it out! 

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?