Let's Talk the Blogging Life

I've got 99 problems and at least 50 of them involve post drafts and how to schedule reviews. Blogger life.

So, the other day I was talking with a friend and was showing her how I used blogger and this is what my reviews look like, my hauls, how I schedule post in advance, you know, and I realized a few things. First, she was happy I was enjoying myself and shared my enthusiasm. Secondly, talking about blogging mechanics nonstop is not widely considered sparkling conversation to non blogging people. So, I figured who better to talk about blogging life with than with my blogging friends?

Today I pose the question- what is your blogging life like? Let me walk you through my sporadic one. Post inspiration strikes me at random (and typically inconvenient hours), so if I just have an idea but I'm not inspired enough to write it, I'll put the title in as a new draft, and sometimes write down some short notes if there are specific details or examples I want to include later. Then, a blogging storm approaches, and suddenly I'm writing two to four discussions amidst all my reviews for the month that I haven't written on Goodreads. It can be a little crazy. However, other times I'll just write a post here or there, but together it will amount to a solid blogging schedule. And I love that, having enough posts ahead so that if I have blogger's block or a bunch of other things come up, I know the blog is alright and I can just reply to comments if I have no free time. 

But where's the fun in just meeting the minimum? Comments are some of my favorite things about blogging- I love reading comments on my posts, commenting on other blogs to keep in touch, and just connecting with the blogging community. That's definitely one of the best things about being a blogger. So, let's talk about the blogging life for you- share your thoughts down in the comments below, and let me know if you like this series name/set up in lieu of my  'and Other Thoughts' type of discussions (you can find some examples of those when I talk about TBRs, readalongs, and book buying) Although not much has changed aside from the series title and having a specific idea that sparks a general conversation, I'd love your input about these two types of discussion post series, and what other discussions you'd like to see on the blog!

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park on Goodreads

Rating - No Rating Given

Major Pros - Writing

Major Cons - Not much side character development

How I Read It - Gifted

Today I'm reviewing a book that I've heard a lot of amazing things about, and that I'm very happy to have read. Eleanor & Park is a contemporary that it seems everyone has read and loved. I mentioned hype in my book blogger confessions, and I'll probably have a discussion post on it this fall, and if you know my thoughts on that you can guess why I was nervous about Eleanor & Park. Everyone talked about how this was one of the best contemporaries, etc. and honestly I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure about my thoughts on the novel until I realized how beautiful a particular occurrence was, how realistic it was written, among other things.

Eleanor & Park isn't a perfect novel- I wasn't a fan of some of the character development, and I thought the side characters were missing some development to them. However, the writing and the story is memorable. There's some great qualities to this novel, and I think it's a beautifully written story. My heart broke for the characters at points throughout the novel.

There's not a lot to say about this novel that hasn't already been said, but Eleanor & Park is a unique, memorable book that I would recommend reading.

From the paper world,

V

Books I Really Want to Read But Don't Own Yet - Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at The Broke and the Bookish, and each week has a new theme. Today we're discussing the Top Ten Books I want to read but don't yet own. I'm going to pick 5 upcoming, unreleased books, and 5 already published ones that I really want to read. Here we go!

Upcoming

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Previously Published

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

The Warrior by Victoria Scott

Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

So, there is my list of books that I don't yet have, but really want to read!  As you can tell, there are a lot of sequels on here, and some debuts as well, but I think these are almost all 2014 releases. Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought of them in the comments! 

From the paper world,

V

Let's Talk Covers Vol. 1

I'm back with an episode of something that I thought would be interesting. Bookish people talk covers all the time- good covers, bad covers, please-don't-ever-change-these covers, and of course, the cover changes. So, I thought it was time for the paper world to weigh in, and today I'm here to show you five of my favorite covers... of books off my favorites shelf on Goodreads. Let's be completely honest, if it were my all time favorite covers, you wouldn't want to read that super long post and I wouldn't want to have to narrow down the options. So, I gave myself some parameters to work with. Here are those top 5 - 

Unhinged (Splintered no. 2) by A.G. Howard
Why I love it - the color. You will quickly realize that brilliant color is key to a good cover for me. Also, the intricate detailing on the cover as well. I know most people don't like 'face covers' but this series in general are beautiful examples of how face covers can be gorgeous and completely eye catching. Drawn, with excellent attention to character details and contrasting colors. Oh, and it's Morpheus. <3 i="">

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Why I love it - this looks like a movie poster. It's eye catching and beautiful, yet tells a lot about the story as well. Lilac in her signature green dress and fiery hair (I love it when covers match the actual character descriptions in the book), Tarver in his uniform, the star crossed aspect of it, the space backdrop. It's beautiful, the stark font of the title makes it look like a film poster, and again with a beautiful, dramatic burst of color.

Apollyon (Covenant no. 4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Why I love it - normally I tend to like blues/greens/purple tones most, but this fiery cover is definitely one of my favorites for this list. It looks like a firework, only more beautiful and intricate. The colors are breathtaking- this is a color palette that's striking, bold, and looks fantastic against the black background. In general this series has beautiful and intense covers, but Apollyon is my favorite.

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

Why I love it - This is probably one of, if not my favorite contemporary novel cover. The reason lies in the details. The title name looks as if it's been drawn on in permanent marker- there are little gaps where the marker skipped, lighter patches, etc. The whole cover (back cover included) depicts Lara Jean's room with pictures and mementos that build her character before you even open a page of the book. This is a cover that adds another layer to the story.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Why I love it - this is a cover that says fairy tale to me. The red and black colors are a stark contrast, and convey the dark tone of the novel, as well as the Little Red Riding Hood roots as well. The two sisters are featured, yet without much dimension so that the reader creates their own image of the story, and which sister is which.

Let me know if you like this series and I can continue on with talking about covers. I was thinking about talking about my five least favorite covers from my favorites list next, or what doesn't work for me with covers. However if you have any requests, like a post on my favorite/least favorite cover changes, etc. just let me know!

 From the paper world,
V

Reading Review - Hourglass by Myra McEntire

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

Hourglass on Goodreads

Visit the Author's Website

Rating - 3 Stars

Major Pros - Unique, Good Pacing

Major Cons - Protagonist

Continuing on with the Series?  - Yes (the sequels are told from other POVs)

How I Read It - Gifted

Hello, everyone! I return with yet another book review, this one is for a series starter that I've been wanting to read for awhile. Hourglass by Myra McEntire has always sounded really interesting, and so I'm really glad I was able to pick up the book and read it. However, I ended up having some problems with some key elements of Hourglass, so I ended up slightly disappointed in the book. I gave Hourglass 3 out of 5 stars.

To begin, my biggest problem was with the narrator and protagonist. She was awesome for the first bit of the book and then suddenly...insta-love struck. I actually had a whole discussion post on paranormal and my recent problems with it, unfortunately that got deleted. However, one of my main problems that I'd mentioned in the post was about how insta-love can take over a paranormal. I'm the sort that likes more supernatural powers and abilities and supernatural element building than romance build up. So I was disappointed in the fact that the protagonist's abilities came in second place to 'that guy with the dreamy eyes'. 

Aside from the insta-love, the protagonist was kind of obnoxious at points, especially during interactions with the love interest. The other characters were interesting yet felt underdeveloped. Typically the secrecy of the paranormal leads to the pre-supernatural adventure best friend being completely off topic in a paranormal and, most of the time, annoying to the point of making me want to skim. With Lily, however, I loved how unique and spunky her character was, and I honestly wish we'd seen more of her. The protagonist's family was another aspect I would have liked to see more of- her interactions with them were equally as annoying as the ones with her love interest, as the protagonist showed little consideration for others. Although the supporting characters weren't featured frequently, I was really impressed with McEntire's creation of a supporting cast so unique that I wanted to know more about them.

The pacing and unfolding of the story were overall well done. I was definitely invested in the story's action and mystery, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. The story, romance aside, was a perfect blend of action and paranormal aspects. I loved how unique the Hourglass and the protagonist's abilities were shown, although I wish there was more about the abilities of the characters. Hopefully, there will be more of that in the second book!

I've decided to start including whether or not I'll continue on with this series in my reviews. For the Hourglass trilogy, I'm definitely planning on continuing on. I've seen that the sequel, Timepiece, is told by another narrator that is a character I want to know more about. I'm excited for this one because I'm sure it will include more paranormal world building, and continue on with the overarching story and have some fantastic character development. While I was definitely not a fan of the protagonist, this is a unique paranormal that I can't wait to continue on with the world and series with another perspective in the sequel.

From the paper world,
V

'Sophmore Slump' and Other Thoughts on Sequels

Today I wanted to talk about sequels. The other day, I was reading and there was a comment about how in general sequels can be such huge disappointments after the wonder of the first book. And I thought that while that's true in some cases, there are sequels I've loved and enjoyed even more than the first book, which can be heavy with information, exposition, and introduction. Today I thought I'd share a few sequels I loved, a few I never want to read again, and why I had that reaction/how it compared to the first book.

The Eh

So, why are these four sequels ones that I disliked or was disappointed in? A general answer is the protagonist and character development. I'm the sort who likes a lot of plot development and intrigue, but there has to be compelling characters in order for me to love  series and stay with the story. For these second books, there were several problems. The first two, Insurgent and The Elite, are second books in a trilogy. Whenever these books fall flat it's often called 'sophmore slump', or when a second book is lacking the action and plot development in the first and basically just sitting there staring at the main conflict that can't be resolved until the third book because it's a trilogy. In some aspects, I think Insurgent and The Elite are sophmore slumps for me. However, in both I also found another phenomenon was present- I was annoyed at the protagonists. The narrator would decide that secrecy and deception would be the best options to 'protect everyone' and this trope is something that is tiresome very quickly. 

For the other two, Frostbite and World After, these two are both the second book in a series of five, if I'm not mistaken about Angelfall's intended series length. For both of these, the struggle was found in not much happening. Yes, the protagonists were also annoying here, but in Frostbite, I thought the central conflict/problem was actually just part of the rising action in the story, so I was disappointed by the end. World After seemed to lack the action and compelling story of its predecessor. 

Now, you might be wondering, if I disliked this sequel, did I continue on with the series? For 3 of the 4 books, the answer is yes, and the last book is sitting on my TBR. You might wonder why. The answer is that, simply put, there's enough in the sequel, in the characters and world we met in the original story, that kept me interested in reading on in the journey. I'm not the sort who has to finish every series I pick up. However, there are series where one book isn't the best, but the idea and story interest me enough to go on.

The Favorites

Now, let's talk about some of my favorite sequels and why I think they stand out. (I'm not entirely sure if The Arcana Chronicles -Endless Knight is the sequel- is a trilogy or more, but from the description of the third book and the overall story line I hope this is more than a trilogy. If you know which it is, comment down below and let me know.) 

Anyways, what makes these sequels so wonderful is that they're unexpected, and they further develop and enrich the plot and characters. Breaking Point continues on where Article 5 left off, but everything is still developing. We haven't lost any of the momentum from the first book, the intense tone and action. Instead, we learn more about the characters, who is good, bad, and more complex than they originally appear. The same is true for Endless Knight, where we see characters that weren't featured as much in the first book and yet the main conflict also continues to grow and develop throughout. To be completely honest, Endless Knight is a sequel I loved even more than the first book.

Another sequel I loved more than the first was The Sea of Monsters, where the characters were more interesting and developed than the first book, and the story was entertaining and well written. Finally, I had to mention Unhinged as an example of a sequel I loved because it also has a plethora of plot twists and character development. 

In general, I think what makes a sequel great is plot twists, character development, and a continuation of action and plot development. What are some sequels that fell into the sophmore slump for you, and some that stayed fantastic or even better than their first books?

Curious to see my more detailed thoughts on these sequels?
My Endless Knight Review, My Percy Jackson and the Olympians series Review, My Unhinged Review

And see my thoughts on some of the first books in the series!
Angelfall by Susan Ee (World After), Splintered by A.G. Howard (Unhinged), Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (Endless Knight)

From the paper world,
V

If, Then for Books! Vol. 2

I'm back today with another volume of If, Then! I love sharing books that I think are similar in tone, concept, or writing. Last time I recommended a few books and I'm excited to share more today! 

If you liked Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen, then you might like Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision.

try

Why?

Both of these fantasy novels feature characters suddenly thrown into a mysterious, dangerous court setting trying to navigate the world with supernatural aspects such as trolls or elementals. Each has compelling writing and are first books with a lot of well done world building.

If you liked Just One Day by Gayle Forman, then you might like Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. 

try 

Why?

Both of these protagonists go on soul searching journeys with an unusual traveling companion, and discover the beauty of the world and the people in it along the way.

So, there is a brief description of why I think some of these books go well together. Let me know if you've read any, or if these picks remind you of some other books I might want to pick up. I'll see you next time!

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

Dorothy Must Die on Goodreads

Rating - 4 Stars
Major Pros - Unique retelling, Action
Major Cons - Narration, Character Interactions

Continuing on with series? Yes
How I Read It - Purchased

Today I'm going to be reviewing a 2014 debut that I've really been looking forward to- Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I read this as part of a readalong with Cassi of My Thoughts Literally, who I've done a readalong before with and always has the most insightful comments that make me appreciate the book more, and also Elizabeth of Book YAbber, who I had never talked to before and I'm so excited to have gotten to know a little. Hopefully we can have another readalong soon!

Dorothy Must Die isn't a retelling of Oz so much as a continuation of how things went drastically wrong. Dorothy has returned and taken control, and Oz has undergone some dramatic and terrible modifications. I will say that I haven't read the prequel novella, which is around 130 pages (so awesome to have longer novellas!) that depicts Dorothy's return to Oz if I'm not mistaken. However, I think that's definitely going to have to be something I pick up soon, as this book has made me very curious.

There is a lot of great qualities about this book- for one thing this series has very unique characters, and there's a lot of attention to detail in the retelling. This is also different from a lot of YA I've read in that the violence and despotic rule of Dorothy isn't sugar coated- gruesome things are happening in Oz and Amy is a member of the audience for a lot of them. The story itself is unexpected, which is definitely exciting- I couldn't predict where the story was going to turn next. It went differently than what I had anticipated, and I loved the way it unfolded as opposed to what I'd expected, since it left me curious. The last part of the book is definitely where everything starts coming together. I couldn't put the book down or look away as all of the action and build up intensify. By the ending, I was ready to read the next book and continue on with the adventure.

However, I did have a few problems regarding Dorothy Must Die, and although none of them were enough to really make me put the book down there were a few qualities that bothered me. The protagonist, while interesting, seemed a little contradictory and related to the other characters in a strange way. I would notice as I was reading that her reactions and thoughts about a character could seem completely different as she was talking to them and later when she was thinking about them on her own. It felt like a little bit of a disconnect and made it harder for me to connect to Amy's narration since I was confused as to what she was actually thinking, and I didn't connect well with the protagonist for the majority of the book. In the beginning, the story felt a little scattered as Amy tries to come to terms with her situation- it made the first part of the book slow for me. The very end of the story left me with questions- not only in a cliffhanger, I want to read more sense (although that definitely did happen!) but in a questioning the logistics of what's going on. However, my only main, overarching problem was with the protagonist/narrator and despite this, I still found the story grabbing my attention more and more as it went on.

Overall, I think Dorothy Must Die is an interesting read. It has a lot of awesome qualities that make it different from other YA I've read, and I think it's  fun read for a group of people to discuss. I ended up giving it 4 stars, so while I had some problems with it the good obviously outweighed the bad and I'm happy to say I did enjoy it a lot!

Have you read Dorothy Must Die or the prequel novella?

From the paper world,

V

Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read - Top Ten Tuesday

This helps with cleaning out my TBR pile- let me know if it's a book I should pick up or not. Be sure to let me know in the comments if you've read any of these and what your thoughts were. For some, like Beautiful Creatures and Asylum, I've picked them up before but couldn't get into the story after ___ of pages (upwards of 75 for Beautiful, I think around 188 for Asylum). Some, like The Knife and Blood Red Road, the narration and writing is throwing me. Some I have in e-book and I'm just not sure. Regardless, share your thoughts below on whether I should read them and continue on!

Incarceron  by Catherine Fisher

Asylum by Madeline Roux

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison

The Knife of Never Letting Go  by Patrick Ness

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

From the paper world,

V

'My Bookmark Revolution' and Other Thoughts on how I read

It's time for another discussion post! Today I'm talking about probably the best thing that has happened to me reading-wise in a few years. I used to have problems keeping track of where I was in a book- I would put what page I was on in Goodreads, but sometimes I'd forget, I'd try to use a bookmark, but it'd fall out or (again) I'd forget. Then, I stumbled across the best reading accessory for me ever.

Magnetic.

Bookmarks.

Yes, this is a big deal for me. I can clip it in on a page, read along, then grab it from the earlier page and put it on. If I have the book in my purse, or I'm traveling, the bookmark won't fall out, and I know exactly where I am. So, magnetic bookmarks have made my reading that much better.

Now, I don't want to make a whole post just talking on about how much I love these bookmarks (although I probably could if I'm being honest). So, I wanted to include other things about how I read. I know for some people, they're about having a specific place to read. For me, reading is sort of an escape from everyday life. So, I've typically got a book on hand at all times, and I'll find a couch, chair, patch of floor, and park myself there to read. I'm not very particular about where I'm reading.

Jamie of the Perpetual Page Turner made an awesome post awhile ago about how she has a book with her everywhere. Firstly, I'm so glad someone tries on a purse by putting a book in it to make sure it fits. I'm not alone in this! Also, she mentioned keeping a book in her car, and it struck me that there are times when it's a good idea to leave a book from your TBR somewhere in case you need something to read. So, I've fallen into the habit of keeping an extra book around that I've yet to start but I'm interested in. 

I like to start and end at a new chapter when I'm reading, so I'll look ahead and budget my reading based on how much time I have and how long the chapter looks. I'll stop in the middle of a chapter if I have to, but I do prefer to begin in a new chapter.

Sort of continuing on with that idea, if I go to a shop and I'm looking at different kinds of books, I'll normally read a chapter from each if I can't decide. However, if a book has long chapters (something I'm not a fan of), then I'll probably only read 10 or so pages. 

There are a few things about how I read. What about you, any quirks?

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve.

But when Maddy’s boyfriend  cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy  starts the Karma Club,  to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe.

It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

Visit the Author's Website

The Karma Club on Goodreads

Rating - 2.5 Stars

Major Pros - Entertaining, Lighthearted

Major Cons - Characterization, Development

How I Read It - Won in a giveaway 

It's time for yet another review! Although I've yet to hear much about this book, I am definitely curious to know other's thoughts since I had a very mixed reaction to this book. Today we're talking about The Karma Club by Jessica Brody. Going into the book, I was expecting something akin to Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian. That is to say, I was ready for a quick, entertaining read in that a group of friends banded together and completely unrealistic antics ensued.

The Karma Club disappointed me in the characters and how immature it felt. Granted, this is a contemporary tale of revenge so it's not going to be anything very relatable or realistic, but the characters themselves read as shallow and didn't undergo much character development as the story went on. The story lacked enough originality to make it stand out, and I was skimming often and skipping a few pages here and there to get through the story. 

Overall I was disappointed by The Karma Club. I had been hoping for more character development and growth, and for a more interesting cast of characters. The story read as entertaining and lighthearted at some points, and bland as others, and the characters weren't developed much throughout the course of the story. I think that this is a fast, quick and entertaining read, but lacked depth to it that would have made it a more memorable book for me. 

From the paper world,

V

Books I'd Give to People Who Haven't Read Fairy Tale Retellings - Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at The Broke and the Bookish, and each week is a different topic to pick ten books for. Today's theme is Top Ten Books I'd Give to Someone who hasn't read ____ Genre. I choose fairy tale retellings, which is one of my favorite genres and I think isn't a more popular one. It's not ten picks, but I tried to pick my favorites to share from the genre.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce - This story is one that retells Little Red Riding Hood, and it's a very unique retelling, with two sisters who become werewolf hunters after a childhood tragedy. The character development is compelling and the story is a dark and intense version of the classic tale.

 Sweetly by Jackson Pearce - While this is technically the sequel to Sisters Red, I had to include it separately because it's my favorite. Sweetly's characters are ones I connected to, and the story was unpredictable despite it being a retelling. 

East by Edith Pattou - This is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is one of my favorite fairy tales. I think it's very easy to depict the protagonist in the wrong light, and make the second half of the story drag, but East does neither. Instead, it creates a beautiful and enchanting story that I loved reading, and even pick up to reread on occassion.

Splintered  by A.G. Howard - Well, I had to mention my favorite Alice in Wonderland retelling. This series captures the whimsy and complexity of Wonderland while being a unique, fresh take on the world and original story. More than a retelling, this retells what happened in Alice in Wonderland in the form of Alice's descendants.

The Storyteller's Daughter  by Cameron Dokey - This story is truly rich and intricate, much like the tapestries in the story. The writing and tone of this novel is magical, enchanting. It's a story that I couldn't put down. The characters go through struggles and development as the story itself builds, and for a short novel this is one of my all time favorites.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - I first picked up Cinder two or three years ago when a friend lent her copy to me. I was struck by how unique of a retelling this series is- science fiction and futuristic. Now, it's one of my favorite series, with Cress being one of my favorite 2014 reads thus far. 

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson - Bluebeard's Wives is definitely one of the darker, grim fairy tales. This retelling captures the eerie, spooky vibe of it perfectly. I was held in suspense the entire time as we follow the narrator's plight and intense story.

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale- The Goose Girl is a fairy tale retelling, although until recently I had been unaware of the original story. Shannon Hale is an author I've discussed before in a Top Ten Tuesday, and this was perhaps one of the first books I read by her. It's unique, beautifully written, and a well told story.

From the paper world,

V