I bought this one for my Kindle when it was on sale. I've been seeing it all over the internet and I wanted to read it. I am totally calling this one research though. I mean this girl (I think it's a girl?) is allergic to the everything. And she sees the iconic "boy next door" and falls in love with him or something. I need to know what happens and to see for myself why everyone is raving about this.
Book #2-4: Harry Potter volumes 5-7 by J.K. Rowling
Dark
times have come to Hogwarts. After the Dementors' attack on his
cousin Dudley, Harry Potter knows that Voldemort will stop at nothing
to find him. There are many who deny the Dark Lord's return, but
Harry is not alone: a secret order gathers at Grimmauld Place to
fight against the Dark forces. Harry must allow Professor Snape to
teach him how to protect himself from Voldemort's savage assaults on
his mind. But they are growing stronger by the day and Harry is
running out of time...It
is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing
against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his
bedroom at the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive for a visit from
Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the
Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and
Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually
appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to
visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to
Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has
already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and
magic start to intertwine...It's
no longer safe for Harry at Hogwarts, so he and his best friends, Ron
and Hermione, are on the run. Professor Dumbledore has given them
clues about what they need to do to defeat the dark wizard, Lord
Voldemort, once and for all, but it's up to them to figure out what
these hints and suggestions really mean. Their cross-country odyssey
has them searching desperately for the answers, while evading capture
or death at every turn. At the same time, their friendship,
fortitude, and sense of right and wrong are tested in ways they never
could have imagined. The ultimate battle between good and evil that
closes out this final chapter of the epic series takes place where
Harry's Wizarding life began: at Hogwarts. The satisfying conclusion
offers shocking last-minute twists, incredible acts of courage,
powerful new forms of magic, and the resolution of many mysteries.
Above all, this intense, cathartic book serves as a clear statement
of the message at the heart of the Harry Potter series: that choice
matters much more than destiny, and that love will always triumph
over death.
I've already read two of them twice. At least. It may have been more. I don't remember. Anyway, I've been slowly giving my physical copies to a friend of mine so I've been replacing them with the Kindle copies until I get the physical again. I want to get the paperback versions. I love this book, and I always will. It's not my favorite in the series (Prisoner of Azkaban is), but it's definitely up there among the ones I like the most. I have yet to actually FINISH Deathly Hallows. I always make it to like two or three chapters before the end.
Book #5: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
When
it first gets announced, the Leteo Institute's memory-alteration
procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto—miracle cure-alls
don't tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. Aaron can't forget how
he's grown up poor, how his friends all seem to shrug him off, and
how his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. He
has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his
distant brother and overworked mother, but it's not enough. Then
Thomas shows up. He doesn't mind Aaron's obsession over the Scorpius
Hawthorne books and has a sweet movie set-up on his roof. There are
nicknames. Aaron's not only able to be himself, but happiness feels
easy with Thomas. The love Aaron discovers may cost him what's left
of his life, but since Aaron can't suddenly stop being gay Leteo may
be the only way out.
The only thing I know about this is that the main character is gay. I picked it up because the main character is gay. Being part of the LGBT+ (stop adding things, it's becoming alphabet soup) community myself, I like to read books that feature characters that are from that community as well. I can't wait to read this and find out for one, why Aaron is in some sort of group for a procedure, and what happens to him.
Book #6: How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
Salem,
Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new
home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City,
Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam
is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for
those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group
of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their
ancestors were? If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes
face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A
handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But
soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse
affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with
the ghost and find a way to work with The Descendants to stop a
deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was
hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But
history may be about to repeat itself.
I'm part of a number of slowly growing almost niche groups. I identify as a Pagan. So if you don't like that, just you know, hop on off my blog and no harm done. Now this book is set in the pinnacle of witchy goodness. Salem itself. I had to have it and find out what happens because it's not exactly a a praise the witches type of book. The main character is the descendant of one of the persecutors. I want to know what happens.
Book #7: Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
When
sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their
small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance
for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past
winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries
endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to
slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the
boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her
pain. The boy whose baby she now carries. When the Verners arrive at
their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they
discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is
obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's
heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their
minds and killing their families, and there is something strange
about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the
prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her,
Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep
within her soul.
This is one of those freaky like crime/horror/thriller/paranormal books that I love. It made the rounds a few months ago (back in February/March I think) on BookTube and I put it on the list of books I wanted to buy then promptly forgot about it until it showed up in my BookBub deals of the day. I'm looking forward to it now that I've read the synopsis on Goodreads.
Book #8: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Magic,
adventure, mystery, and romance combine in this epic debut in which a
young princess must reclaim her dead mother’s throne, learn to be a
ruler—and defeat the Red Queen, a powerful and malevolent sorceress
determined to destroy her. On her nineteenth birthday, Princess
Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey
back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain
and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little
resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But
though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not
defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of
immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a
cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus.
Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use
every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood
magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown. Despite her royal
blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child
called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows
almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change
everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act
of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult,
unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring
Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic.
Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants,
aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust. But the quest to save
her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous
journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a
legend...if she can survive.
Another book that I can't remember exactly why I put it on my list. It clearly has words that require a pronunciation guide, which I tend to stay away from. I have a vague memory of reading a sample of the book and liking it a lot though. So I hope I will actually like it now that I have my own copy. I held off on buying the other two books in the series because I don't want to get them and then find out I hate the book or something. Here's hoping I actually want to pick up volumes 2 and 3!
Book #9: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the
battle for civil rights will be changed forever. Sarah Dunbar is one
of the first black students to attend the previously all-white
Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is
put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily. Linda
Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents
of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the
races should be kept “separate but equal.” Forced to work
together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh
truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.
Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves
is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and
finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.
I have another vague memory of this one. I read it on a Booklr post about books that featured the LGBT+ community. I know it features diversity and that may have been a subtopic listed on the post. I really don't remember and I'm sure I'll never actually see it again. Anyway, I had a few books by Robin Talley on my list and this one once again popped up in my bargains for the day and I just had to have it. It looks really good. I sort of half think that I read or heard that it features an interracial lesbian couple? I may also be entirely making that up and that my memory should not be trusted with anything.
Book #10: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’”
by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own
skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini
on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her
side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s,
the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot
former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo.
But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of
finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo,
Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her
confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine:
entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several
other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be
up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll
shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.
I've heard good things, that it's all about not fat-shaming people and that Dumplin' stands up for herself and it's all good and sunshine and rainbows and wonderful. I've also heard bad things about it. That Dumplin' is instead skinny-shaming people because they aren't fat like she is and that she's a very bad person and that it's terrible and gross and dark. Well....since the bookish clan appears split down the middle here, I think I will get a good read out of this one and I can't wait. I actually have no idea what's happening in this book. I bought it originally because I'd only heard the good things. Then I started hearing the bad. It's got higher than a 3.5 rating, so it can't possibly be that bad?
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Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know your thoughts on the books that I've purchased in November! Are there any I should read first and some I should boot from the pile?
