Review: The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi

Format: Kindle

Publisher: North Star Editions

Publication Date: 03 December 2019

Page Count: 256

Rating: 5/5

When Lena's younger sister Fressa is found dead, their whole Viking clan mourns—but it is Lena alone who never recovers. Fressa is the sister that should've lived, and Lena cannot rest until she knows exactly what killed Fressa and why—and how to bring her back. She strikes a dark deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and begins a new double life to save her sister. But as Lena gets closer to bringing Fressa back, she dredges up dangerous discoveries about her own family and finds herself in the middle of a devastating plan to spur Ragnarök –a deadly chain of events leading to total world destruction. Still, with her sister's life in the balance, Lena is willing to risk it all. She's even willing to kill. How far will she go before the darkness consumes her?

I received this from NetGalley in return for an honest review. 

The synopsis made me think it's going to be like a female-lead edition of Rick Riordan's books set in a Norse world. I was very much looking forward to it. I was also sort of wrong. There is so much more happening in this book than one could actually conceptualize at first. It was absolutely stunning in it's description of everything happening and the weight not just of Fressa's soul, but the knowledge of what must happen that's crushing Lena along side it.

I do apologize for being a little late in my review, but some family concerns came up that prevented me from being able to actually sit down and read for more than a few minutes at a time. There was just so much going on in the last two weeks of November that make me wish I had read this earlier than I did.

Anyway, The Weight of a Soul by Tammi Elizabeth follows Magdalena Freding, the heiress to a small Scandinavian village. In a very quick succession, her sister is engaged to an "outsider" raised by the village, her father returns from a raid and gives her sister a dagger, they find out that her sister's fiance was Lena's betrothed, and then her sister dies. This all happens within the first like twenty pages. I think I was barely fifteen minutes into the book when things went down.

I couldn't believe it. It was all so much in quick succession that it was nearly difficult to wrap my mind around, but I managed. I felt bad right away for Lena and her mother. Everything was spiraling around them in a way that they couldn't possibly fathom. Then Lena goes and does something that will land her in hotter water than imaginable!

I really liked the way everything was described in such vivid detail that I could picture it clearly in my head. Tammi Elizabeth certainly had a way with describing Lena's transition from the banks of a river somewhere in Scandinavia (Norway, Finland, Denmark....it was a big place, though likeliest is Norway) to the icy paths of Helheim. Everything was done in such striking ways. I really loved the prose the way that it was presented to me in such a fascinating manner that I struggled to put this book down.

One of the biggest drawbacks I found in this was the marriage subplot. It wasn't necessary. Yeah, it did spur Lena into working all that much harder to find a solution to her problem, but it just compounded her own grief and sense of twisted loss to the point where Lena was sometimes hardly able to function long enough to even think about what she was doing. She would make rash decisions based on surface thought only. It was literally tearing her and Amal apart to know what their parents had in mind for them and their rigidity about it. I hated that. It put Amal and Lena into positions that they had to struggle hard to get out of.

It's part of the synopsis that Lena is supposed to be searching for a soul that weighs as much as her sister's does, and I thought right away that there were only two souls that would possibly have matched. Amal and Fredrik. It was made obvious that Amal loved Fressa more than any other living creature, meaning he would know her soul inside and out and would a good match for it in weight. In the end, it was a surprise who the proper balanced soul to Fressa's was.

It took everything in me to not throw my Kindle across the living room when I realized who Fredrik was and what he was scheming. The man had been lying their whole lives! I couldn't believe it, and yet I could believe it. This book was setting up perfectly as the first in a series. I don't know if it will be a duology, trilogy, quartet or what, but I am very excited to find out. I want to know what Lena does from her new position in Valhalla. I want to know what Kiali-turned-Loki does on the lamb with Fressa and Amal. I want to know all of it.

Overall a 5/5 for me. I will definitely look for this in physical form the minute I see it in the stores. I will also eagerly await the next book in the series. I have to know what is happening. I thank NetGalley for letting me read this ARC and apologize for my taking bloody forever to actually get to it. 

Currently Reading: 14 November to 30 November 2019

Currently Reading

- The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi (01%)
- Enigma by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore (18%)
- The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton (08%)
- The Book Fix by Marydale Stewart (35%)

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (37%)

- Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James (61%)
- IT by Stephen King (40%)
- Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en (27%)
- The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (59%)

* * *

NaNoWriMo is in full swing, so you will have to give me leeway for not writing as often as I normally would. This month is just usually very busy and I'm already behind because of the broken computers. November is just  not my month it would seem. We are going up to replace the laptop(s) this weekend though. 

What else has been going on? I've cursed a friend of mine a few times. She kept trying to get me to read her copy of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I kept putting it off, because of how many other books I have to read (literally hundreds). Then Amazon Prime went and made a mini series out of it that I watched. Now instead of reading the hundreds of books I own...I went out and bought a copy of Good Omens and I'm reading that instead. What is wrong with me?

I have come up with the preliminary lists of books I want to read in 2020. I am keeping each TBR list itself to 12 books. Why 12? I have no idea. 12 seemed like a good number. I realize I will actually have to choose another 12 to actually hit that golden 2-per-month thing that I wanted to do. Maybe these will just be the books for the first half of next year and I will choose another 12 in June for July-December? 

Anyway, here are the January-June lists:

PRINT

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Ashes of Roses by M.J. Auch

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margret Rogerson

Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

The Dragon's Legacy by Deborah A. Wolfe

Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

DIGITAL

The Stone Gate by Mark Mann
A Study in Sable by Mercedes Lackey
Wayward by Wayne Wade
Revealing Revelations by Ric Nero
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Last Line by M. Pepper Langlinais
Alone by S.M. Perlow
Curse: The Return to Wexkia by Dale Furse
The Scent of Lies by Deborah Burroughs
The Spiral Arm by Peter Boland
The Book of Legend by T.J. Mayhew
Branded by Keary Taylor
Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

A good list I think? These are all of the books I plan to read in the first half of 2020. For the digital list, I don't really chose based on my desire to read them. I use the RNG and my Digital tab from my Personal Library Catalog on my computer to pick the ones I will read. I figure since I randomly downloaded them, I should randomly choose. I can barely wait until I get to a few of them.

I feel like I should update you all on my progress for NaNoWriMo 2019. As of 11:45 on 11/23, I am sitting happily at 89,375/50,000. I already earned the "winner" badge from the site as well as a little like, certificate. I think that's much fun. So now I will just do whatever and add however many words I get to at the end of each day.

I gave up on She's My Dad by Jonathan S. Williams. I didn't like it at all. I posted my review already, so you can just see it there. There was too much of Jonathan's tale in the book and not enough of Paula or whatever. I don't remember the woman's name. I think it was Paula. Not really worried about it now. I'll just move on to my final two NetGalley arcs that I got.

There was a challenge posted the other day on BooksandTea called the "End-of-the-Year-Challenge" and I thought it would be interesting. The prompts are:

- Finish the book you're currently reading 

- Read a book you told everyone you would read this year

- Read a book you got in the first half of 2019

- Read a book you've had since 2018

- Read the oldest book on your TBR

- Read the newest book on your TBR

- Read the shortest book on your TBR.

These are the books (in the same order) that I have chosen:
good

- Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

- Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

- The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser

- Rebel in the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

- Paradise Lost by John Milton

- Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

I mean, I know I already had a ton of things to get through before the end of the year, but hey, I like to set impossible goals!! Let's see if I can get through these any better than I could get through the rest of the challenges I set for myself. I should be able to get through a good number of the books.

I had a brilliant idea based on someone else's idea that I will implement starting today (11/23). For each book I finish, I will put $20 into a savings account. So far I have added $20, to take care of the book I DNF'd today. I will count it as "read" so long as I made it at least 25% of the way into the book before I DNF it. I am basically paying myself to read. (If only one or both of my parents would match this, it would be epic. $40-$60 to read a book, also parents reading this: take note positive reinforcement....this will help!). Not sure yet what I plan to do with the money I will end up saving with this new scheme.

My coworkers have jokingly told me I should only save $2 per book, because of how little we get paid and my consumption of novels. They don't think I get paid enough to keep up $20 each. I'll see what happens. I know I'm not a particularly fast reader, so there isn't likely much way I will be able to fail at $20/book. So far this month, I would have only contributed $80.

November 2019 Wrap Up

Hello there. I know I have been terrible at this. In November I read 6 books. Let's go right into the reviews. 

#1: Nocturnal Witchcraft by Konstantinos

Nocturnal Energies differ from those of Daylight and Witches have long known how to take advantage of Lunar Powers and the spiritual entities that prefer the darkness for particular magical operations. This innovative book explores special techniques for working with the Night Powers and the subtle effects of dark symbols to: Cast a Nocturnal Magick Circle Invoke the Dark Gods and Goddesses Skry the Night Open the Gates to the Underworld Cast Spells through the Dark Ether Explore the symbolic realm of shadow, illusion, and the mysteries of the Unknown You will learn to find your Inner Quiet, Read Minds through the Ether, Dream for Change, Create and Use Thought Forms, Alter Reality through simple Spells and Rites, and use the powers of Magnetism and Suggestion. And you will Explore the Mysteries of Death and to Speak with the Dead. The Dark balances the Light. Do not fear it but equally embrace it.

It was...okay. I gave it 4/5 stars because while it was definitely an interesting read and gave me a lot to think about, it went against a lot of things that other books had taught me. I am not likely to use most of the information that was presented in the book, but I will put what I can into practice. I don't think it is really a good idea to do godform assumption for most of these rituals and spells, that sort of thing should be saved for extremely special or important things. Not just whenever you want to do something and really really want it. We will try other books by Konstantinos to see if we like them any better than this one.


#2: Assassination Classroom #11 by Yusei Matsui

Class 3-E student Isogai breaks the school rules by working part-time to help support his family. When Gakushu and the Big Four students find out, they use his secret as leverage to force 3-E to participate in a bizarre sports day competition. Soon it’s time for the school’s midterm competition as well, but when some 3-E students accidentally injure the elderly owner of a day care, Koro Sensei forbids them from studying and orders them to replace him until he recovers! Assassination is one thing, but babysitting little kids…?!

I liked this one pretty well. Like normal, I didn't care much for Gakuho or Gakushu, but I think that may sort of be the point. We aren't meant to like them. They are sort of the "bad guys" of the series so far. I didn't like how underhanded they were in the games. It was decent for the eleventh volume in a series. I am looking forward to reading the next one and finding out what will happen next.


#3: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but I have the black cover with Aziraphale on it. Moving on to the proper review. I loved this book. I did watch the television show first, so I had a general idea of what was going to happen (though I must say I liked some of the bits from the show better), but this was still an amazing read. I loved how the entire book was about an angel and a demon working together to basically...thwart the apocalypse. And they manage it, by not doing a thing. They mess up dramatically and it still works out exactly the way they want it to. I may give this one a re-read in the future. Definitely a 5/5.


#4: She's My Dad by Jonathan S. Williams 

Jonathan S. Williams was three months into pastoring a new, evangelical church plant when his father confessed a secret: he was transgender. His father, Paul, a prominent evangelical pastor, soon became Paula, and Jonathan's life and ministry went into a tailspin. Feeling betrayed by his mentor and confidante and scared that his church would lose funding and support if Paula's secret was exposed, Jonathan sunk into depression and alcoholism. She's My Dad explores Jonathan's long and winding journey toward reconciliation, forgiveness, and acceptance of his father as well as his church's journey to become one of the few fully LGBTQ-inclusive, evangelical churches in America. Jonathan and Paula offer insight and encouragement for those with transgender family members, empathizing with the feelings of loss and trauma and understanding that even being LGBTQ-affirming doesn't mean the transition of a family member will be easy. Jonathan writes of his family's continuing evolution, the meaning of remaining loyal to one's father even when she is no longer a man, the ongoing theological evolution surrounding transgender rights and advocacy in the church, and the unflinching self-scrutiny of a pastor who lost his God only to find God again in his father's transition.

I ended up DNF'ing this. I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. It shouldn't be a struggle to read a book. Especially one about a topic that interests me. I have a MtF friend, so you would think that I would be rather intrigued by a book that talks about a MtF person. The story that I was reading had only a few pieces that were remotely related to the actual transgender person. I read a quarter of the book, and of that quarter, only about 10%  even mentioned the transition or the person by their female name. The other 90% was about Jonathan growing up, going to school, getting married. It was more a history of his life rather than of his father's. I didn't particularly care for it. Maybe I'll have better luck with the other books that I got from NetGalley in the future. I received this book in return for an honest review, and honestly? I didn't like it.


#5: Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Mansicalco

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

I have to say I didn't see the ending coming, and I pay attention to her books after I was thrown in the first one. I enjoyed the story line, with the exception of Mephistopheles constantly trying to just split them apart. It was obvious that Audrey Rose had a courtship going with Thomas and he was messing with it almost exclusively to mess with it. I really liked how they didn't catch an obvious clue that was startlingly right in front of them, even one that Thomas skipped over. I won't reveal it personally, but I'll say if you were paying close attention early on in the novel, by the time they start to speculate near the three-quarter mark, you (should) almost already know who it is and the motive behind it. I gave this one 5/5 and I cannot wait to get to the final novel in the series.


#6: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

A novel about a young woman determined to make her way in the wilds of North Carolina, and the two men that will break her isolation open. For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world--until the unthinkable happens.

It was a very interesting read. I was recommended this by a resident where I work and one of the activities aids, who both are also huge bookworms (you would be surprised at how many of the senior citizens are actually big readers, go and talk to a few in your local assisted living or nursing home facilities, I bet they'd love the company and discussion!), and while I did like the beginning and the end...the middle sort of dragged a bit for me. I struggled through that part. Once I cleared the talk of her teen years that weren't very interesting to me at all and moved into the actual plot of the book and what happened in 1969...well, let's say that I was just as much fooled as everyone else. I didn't see the ending coming, thinking it was someone else entirely for very good reason. The person I thought had killed Chase turned out not to have at all, but the reasoning for the murderer were near identical. I still can't believe the ending and I'm not surprised at all that this has ended up on Reese's Book Club list (not that I have any idea who Reese is...). This one earned a 4/5 and I may look into more Delia Owens books in the future.

Review: She's My Dad by Jonathan S. Williams

Jonathan S. Williams was three months into pastoring a new, evangelical church plant when his father confessed a secret: he was transgender. His father, Paul, a prominent evangelical pastor, soon became Paula, and Jonathan's life and ministry went into a tailspin. Feeling betrayed by his mentor and confidante and scared that his church would lose funding and support if Paula's secret was exposed, Jonathan sunk into depression and alcoholism.

She's My Dad explores Jonathan's long and winding journey toward reconciliation, forgiveness, and acceptance of his father as well as his church's journey to become one of the few fully LGBTQ-inclusive, evangelical churches in America. Jonathan and Paula offer insight and encouragement for those with transgender family members, empathizing with the feelings of loss and trauma and understanding that even being LGBTQ-affirming doesn't mean the transition of a family member will be easy. Jonathan writes of his family's continuing evolution, the meaning of remaining loyal to one's father even when she is no longer a man, the ongoing theological evolution surrounding transgender rights and advocacy in the church, and the unflinching self-scrutiny of a pastor who lost his God only to find God again in his father's transition.

I ended up DNF'ing this. I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. It shouldn't be a struggle to read a book. Especially one about a topic that interests me. I have a MtF friend, so you would think that I would be rather intrigued by a book that talks about a MtF person. The story that I was reading had only a few pieces that were remotely related to the actual transgender person. 

I read a quarter of the book, and of that quarter, only about 10%  even mentioned the transition or the person by their female name. The other 90% was about Jonathan growing up, going to school, getting married. It was more a history of his life rather than of his father's. I didn't particularly care for it. 

Maybe I'll have better luck with the other books that I got from NetGalley in the future. I received this book in return for an honest review, and honestly? I didn't like it. 

October 2019 Wrap Up

I got back into reading a lot more and I am very proud of myself. In October I read 4 books. Here they are (typically in order of how I read them) 

#1: Exorsisters by Ian Boothby

Did you sign a deal with the devil? Has a loved one been dragged to Hell? Then Kate and Cate Harrow should be the first ones you call for timely soul removal at a reasonable rate. This collection is perfect for fans of case-solving procedurals like Veronica Mars , Netflix's Jessica Jones , and the CW's Supernatural , and introduces readers to the Harrows, who have to deal with the end of the world, fallen angels, demon worshiping ex-boyfriends, and their Mother.

I loved this. It was so funny just watching. It reminded me of Supernatural only if the characters were girls. It took me a few pages to properly get into the story, but once I did, I couldn't stop. It only took me a few minutes to read it all the way through to the end. I love how different yet the same the girls are. Cate reminds me very much of Twilight Sparkle in her approach to everything and Kate was more like Sunset Shimmer/Starlight Glimmer. I really enjoyed it and I am planning to find the next bind up in the series and continue on with it when I get it.

#2: The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own. 

I swear this is the cutest thing in the world. We follow Greta, who is at least a quarter goblin if not more, and she is apprenticing to be a blacksmith like her mother is. She goes to the market for something (I may have glossed over what she was supposed to get) and she ends up finding a lost little creature. When she takes it back to her house, her mother informs her that it is a tea dragon and probably belongs to the curator of dragon tea. This is where our story really starts. Greta returns the dragon and is asked if she wants to apprentice with Hesekiel at his tea shop. I love that she is so invested in it despite not knowing much and how she just accepts Minette despite Minette's memory issues. Greta automatically assumes role of protective sibling and that made my heart happy. I loved how they found a little dragon for Greta to look after on her own and I am looking forward to the next volume in this series, which I believe is called The Tea Dragon Festival. It looks so good and I adore the artwork!

#3: Moonstruck #1 by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle

Werewolf barista Julie and her new girlfriend go on a date to a close-up magic show, but all heck breaks loose when the magician casts a horrible spell on their friend Chet. Now it's up to the team of mythical pals to stop the illicit illusionist before it's too late.

I needed it. It's that simple. I remember other people on BookTube talking about it and I just had to have it when I saw it at Books-a-Million. I read it almost as soon as I got back to the house. If I didn't get nauseous while reading in the car, I probably wouldn't have even made it until we were home to read it. I love it. Absolutely love it. I am not entirely sure why Julie doesn't like being a werewolf in her very magical town with her very magical werewolf girlfriend, but it is what it is. I liked the relationship between Julie and Selena. Someone ought to stage an intervention for Chet though, they have far too much attachment to their own butt. Someone needs to have a good talk with them about obsession. This graphic novel is just so wholesome and I don't know who wouldn't love it. I felt so bad for Chet and what they had to go though, but then when they pulled through in the end it was wonderful! There are a few minor plot lines I want to see continued in the next volume. They were just so cute!!

#4: Moonstruck #2 by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle

Werewolf barista Julie and her supernatural friends try to unwind at a party, but a conniving fraternity of fairy bros has other plans for our heroes. With one of their friends trapped in the frat house and the winter solstice (a notable night of magical mischief) looming ever-closer, it's up to the amorous werewolves and gregarious centaur to save the day.

I couldn't help myself. I saw it and was like "As long as I'm here buying volume one...I may as well just get volume two...." and as I predicted, this was another five star graphic novel. I need to start seriously collecting these. I don't know why I was avoiding them. This didn't go into some plot lines I would have wanted to see, but we did get introduced to a new potential romance that I want to see the progression of and we got more of Selena and Julie just developing as a couple. We got their first fight (onscreen) as a couple and it was interesting to see what happened. I really didn't like the fact that the fairies pulled all the unsuspecting others into their stupid game/prank or whatever it was. They didn't need to do that. I hope there are going to be more volumes in the future because I loved this just as much as the first volume and cannot wait to see more from Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle. 

Currently Reading: 06 October to 14 November 2019

Currently Reading

- Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (42%)
- The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton (08%)
- She's My Dad by Jonathan S. Williams (11%)
- The Book Fix by Marydale Stewart (35%)
- Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (51%)

- Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens (50%)

- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (35%)

- Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James (58%)
- IT by Stephen King (40%)
- Red by Jordan Summers (25%)
- Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en (27%)
- The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (58%)

* * *

I'm contemplating not actually finishing the Read Voltron Challenge. I just don't want to be forced into reading something. For the foreseeable future I may only do the OWLs/NEWTs reading challenges. Those I like, but I don't like having to read stuff. So, we will be cancelling the rest of the reading challenges for the year! No Read Voltron or Map of the Soul! I just, I don't know. 

I already know what I plan to do for next year, and if I can finish a good number of the Currently Reading books from my list, I'll start it this year. One of the goals I had in 2019 was to meet or exceed my Goodreads goal of 50 books. Currently (2019-11-14) I am at 64/50. I intend to up the goal next year. I think I will aim for 72 books next year, 6 books per month organized in the following way: 

- 2 print TBR list

- 2 digital TBR list

- 2 mood reads (can be either print or digital)

A good mix of things. For the randomized nature that is necessary to choose a TBR book from my list, I use a combination of RNG and a G-Sheets spread of the books I own. I'm going to try to not go to my library as often next year (or buy as many books) so that way I can try to work my way through the books I already own. The piles are getting ridiculous. 

I'm totally trying to avoid giving myself a heart attack later, but I just got this impressive urge to read IT by Stephen King. Like, it's October and that is a horror so it makes sense that I would want to read it...but I don't trust my mental status sometimes. Argh...why brain? Why do we do this to ourselves? You know what will happen and you are not afraid of it at all.

Started cataloging my books again, and as of 2019-10-11, I have 730 physical books, 247 digital books, and 1 audio book. Both of them were four-star reads, but for different reasons that I will get into in my wrap-up for November.

* * *

Okay, so let me tell you what has gone down in the last few weeks that stopped me from updating the blog. BOTH of my computers have reached death. Neither death is software related and easy to fix. Because that would be easy. NOPE. On my Dell, the keyboard has stopped responding (I'm using a tiny USB keyboard I got my hands on to type this) and then on the Acer the pixels in the screen shattered. So I can't type on one and can't see on the other. Of course this would happen between paychecks, so I have to suffer for a whole week with a janky GearHead USB keyboard until I have enough money to acquire a new laptop.

Anyway...in the last few weeks I have managed to finish two books. I got through Nocturnal Witchcraft by Konstantinos and Assassination Classroom #11 by Yusei Matsui. 

September 2019 Wrap Up

I know I got back into the reading wraps which I haven't been doing lately. I don't remember really what sparked it, beside joining groups that encouraged us to actually talk about what we've read and read the blogs that we post and comment on them. Unusual I know!

So! In that spirit, this is September's wrap-up. I've read 9 books this month. 

#1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 

Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry. Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

I read this as part of the OWLs readathon 2019. This is my third (possibly fourth) re-read of this series. I still love it every time I read it though. Harry Potter grew up in roughly the same time I did when I started reading the series at ten years old. Going back to it is like revisiting an old friend. I loved how there were a couple of moments where you were like "Oh...well then..." like when Hagrid borrowed Sirius Black's motorcycle to get Harry to Privet Drive. Also, Dumbledore seems to know much more than he's letting on. But then he is a very secretive person. I'm looking forward to re-reading the rest of the series as I acquire them. Such good books.


#2: Every Day by David Levithan

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone A wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

I enjoyed this book. I rated it 4/5 because I didn't understand why after 16 years or whatever, he would just throw away all of his own rules that he came up with. Then again, there are no proper rules that he had because he was the only one he even knows of who can do the body-hopping thing. I understand that he felt the need to not form connections or build relationships when he never knew where he was going to end up. I didn't understand really how he didn't just end up in other random places. What rule was there that forced him to stay within a 4-hour radius of a single place? I'm not sure why in my head I was not expecting it to be a romance, but it's literally part of the synopsis and I just glossed right over it. The big plot hole is another question I had: How does A know he can't stay in one body? Has he ever tried? No. He just tried to not fall asleep, that's different. I'm going to look and see if there is a sequel to this out somewhere because I want to know what happens with A and B (this is what I'm calling the person, you'll understand when you read the book for yourself.)


#3: My Hero Academia #5 by Kohei Horikoshi

The final stages of the U.A. High sports festival promise to be explosive as Uraraka takes on Bakugo in a head to head match! Bakugo never gives anyone a break, and the crowd holds its breath as the battle begins. The finals will push the students of Class 1-A to their limits and beyond!

In this volume we finally get to see the final rounds of the UA Sports Festival. It always unnerves me during a few scenes here. Midoriya shows absolutely no fear in the face of the number two pro-hero and most conceited man in the world. He already just knows what it is Endeavor is trying to do and calls him out on it. Within minutes of actually knowing the guy. Then for some reason, Midoriya just throws the match because he wants Shouto to embrace both halves of his power. That was a huge moment. Midoriya didn't care about winning the school festival at all. He just wanted his friend (whether Shouto agrees to this moniker or not is irrelevant in Midoriya's eyes) to be fully proud of himself and to use what quirks he has. It was pivotal to the rest of the series and Shouto becoming the student that the fandom loves. I don't think he would have changed if it weren't for Midoriya prompting him to. I cannot wait to read further in the manga and see just what happens after the end of what we've seen in the anime. 

#4: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen? Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire...But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

I wasn't super into the first part of this book. It is a tale about a girl who is just bullied for something out of her control. I hated the harem wives for their disdain of her. Then we find out later that in fact, it was her doing. She was responsible for her fate. The story picked up around the 30% marker for me and I enjoyed it greatly. We follow Mayavati as she is bullied in her home country of Bharata, and then marries someone she does not know at all and heads off to his kingdom of Akaran, a kingdom she has never heard of. I figured out where they were fairly quickly and enjoyed spending the time reading and waiting for Maya to catch on. It was a good tale and I am seriously considering picking up Chokshi's other works to see if the magic is still there for me.

#5 My Hero Academia #6 by Kohei Horikoshi

In the aftermath of the sports festival, the class 1-A students begin their internships. Midoriya goes to study under Gran Torino, who was once All Might’s mentor. Gran Torino appears to be a washed-up nutjob, but the old hero still has more moves than a football team, and Midoriya has a lot to learn! Elsewhere, the League of Villains enacts another sinister plot and unleashes a terrifying new enemy!

I adore this series. It was too good. We get another brief look into the League of Villains when Hero Killer Stain turns them down, basically saying that they are not much better in Stain's mind than the heroes. I think that his idea of true heroism is doing things becuase it is good, not because you are paid for it. He turns down joining the league. I thought Gran Torino was hilarious. I love him as a character. I cannot wait until I get my hands on the next volume so I can get the conclusion to Stain. It's a bit of a challenge to write up my reviews being as I already am past this in the anime.


#6: Noragami #1 by Adachitoka


A god who can, with a sword, clear sentences." In the human world, there is a god who can penetrate into the heart of them. When you are sad, when you are tired, if you look up to heaven, we can see a telephone number. But it is important not to call! If we call, a boy stands in front of you dislike and say "Delighted, I am God." If it happens to you, what would you do?

Another very good book. This one is different from the anime though, so it may be easier to review. We are introduced to a girl in the beginning who calls on a god to help her, when he does, his weapon quits on him. So, now he is stuck weaponless. When another girl who can see spirits for no particular reason tries to save him from being hit by a bus, shenanigans ensue. Yato, the god, gets a new weapon and unintentionally picks up the girl as a friend/companion. This first volume was full of entertaining character introductions. I loved how what's-her-face (literally cannot remember her name offhand) thinks she is finding spirits for Yato to use as his next weapon, but in reality she is finding what he uses the weapons against. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.


#7: Assassination Classroom #10 by Yusei Matsui

The students of 3-E turn a surplus of eggs to good use—in pursuit of their usual goal. Karasuma teaches them the art of parkour while Koro Sensei teaches them the game of cops and robbers. Then, someone is stealing lingerie, and naturally Koro Sensei is the prime suspect! But is he being framed…and if so, by whom? Lastly, biologically modified Itona discovers that sometimes tentacles can be a burden rather than a gift. He puts everything he’s got into his latest assassination attempt on Koro Sensei…but who will save Itona from himself?!

I love how the students actually work together not to destroy Koro Sensei in this one, but to protect him. They know he is not the one to blame for a crime being committed becuase that would cause him to lose his teaching license or whatever it is he has that makes the government think him eligible to teach high school students. They use the tactics he and Karasuma teach them to actually get him out of trouble. Itona has finally joined the students as a regular kid. He does prove himself to be far more intelligent than anyone knew. This book is full of just bonding and it's beautiful. The online cover does not do it justice, though, it's so....reflective. I can't help but be curious what volume 11 will bring and how Itona will finally, possibly fully, ingratiate himself into class 3-E.


#8: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup



If you find one, he’s already found you. A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen. His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago. A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted? To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues. Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over. And no one is safe.

Holy crap. Like really. I enjoyed this book immensely. I do like to try to sort out who is doing the killing in books, and while I got it half right, I didn't manage to guess who the actual culprit was. I don't really understand why we needed to know that Hess's eyes were two different colors, aside from the fact it made him more interesting to the children. That was all. I felt bad for him being kicked out of the Hague, but I think he was suffering from burnout. He had been doing the same thing for near five years and after a while you just get tired of it. Switching to the Murder Squad (or whatever the Danes call it) gave him back a little of the spark he once had. He showed off his mental prowess. Now, I don't know if that was just a Danish thing, but I know here in the States they would not have stopped until every single lead was looked into, including the history of the parents. If those cops would have just looked at one person's family history when the girl was taken, I bet the murders we get during the course of the book would not have happened. Logical. Perhaps they were trying to spare a grieving mother. Perhaps also they should have looked into the methods done by the investigators on the case....so many unusual ends and methods. If Søren Sveistrup ever releases another book, I will be so down to pick it up and read it. He reminded me why I used to enjoy adult thriller books.


#9: In a Quarter of a Second by Anita Kirk

A young group of space-bowling friends get transported thirty years into the future. They go on a strange adventure/mission to recover items for the city people. They take life into their own hands, experiencing strange difficulties along the way on their journey.

There was a book recommended to me on Goodreads the other day, and curious at the description, I picked it up. It was a bad idea. I get that a lot of people want to be published authors. But if your book is fifty pages or fewer, has no editing done whatsoever, and what plot there is makes no sense, do not publish it. I was recommended this book, In a Quarter of a Second by Anita Kirk, and I absolutely hated it. It was the most disturbing, poorly written nonsense I've ever read. It took me over a week to read because I could only handle so much of it at a time. There are a bunch of teens doing things that aren't likely to be legal in six years. They give alcohol to dogs, they kill people while having the cure for the people on their persons, they do all of this random unrelated stuff that has nothing at all to do with the plot. There is even a scene where a fifteen year old survives being stabbed in the forehead. THE FOREHEAD. I don't even know what the plot was supposed to be. The only rating this book has is 5/5 stars, but that was also from the author. I do not suggest reading this at all!!

September 2019 Book Haul

I think I am going to start back with my book hauls again. Now that I have the note feature on my tablet I can more easily record when I acquire books. So let's start these up again. Hopefully I can keep up with this.

I acquired 17 books in September. 

#1: The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population. Seventeen-year-old Janelle “Ellie” Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. Deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, humanity’s emotional transgressions are now grounds for execution. All art, books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her. Born in a lab, M0Rr1S (Morris) was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They’re both breaking the rules for love of art—and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does. Ellie’s—and humanity’s—fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution—thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while making a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.

I got this from NetGalley in return for a review. In all honesty, I didn't even read past the line where it said "...the invading Ilori..." it has aliens. And books. I don't really want to know more. I prefer going into my books blind. It looks very interesting and reading more of the synopsis, it looks like something I will love because it's random. There are aliens, humans, beaker-babies that are neither alien or human, I can't wait. It looks beautiful. This book is being published by Harlequin TEEN on 25 February 2020. Let's see if I like it?


#2: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup 

If you find one, he’s already found you. A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen. His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago. A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted? To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues. Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over. And no one is safe.

I thought I would give Book of the Month club a try and since they are running a special for your first month, I was like yeah why not? I picked this one because I remembered the synopsis from one of the Goodreads Giveaways (that I did not win) and it looked really interesting. I like chestnuts, and I'm wondering if this will forever put me off of them. It sounded like something that I would love. It's one of those thrillers that leave you at first going "But....why?" I'm struggling right now to fathom why the killer would be leaving behind chestnut figures. I want to know if there is any sort of backstory for that given in the book. Unfortunately I may not get to this right away, as I have a set TBR for the next few months for read alongs. I do plan to read it as soon as the opportunity presents itself. 


#3: The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world’s history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

I adored the book I won from Goodreads by this author and I do actually enjoy Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra from Nickelodeon. They were amazing stories and now that this is out and is considered canon, I have to read it. It looks really good and I can't wait to get into it after my other reading is completed for the month. 


#4: My Hero Academia #5 by Kohei Horikoshi 

The final stages of the U.A. High sports festival promise to be explosive as Uraraka takes on Bakugo in a head to head match! Bakugo never gives anyone a break, and the crowd holds its breath as the battle begins. The finals will push the students of Class 1-A to their limits and beyond!

Yes. We all know I've been reading this series and watching it. My first completed "proper" cosplay is actually of the cover character from volume five. This is the series that actually prompted me to get into cosplay and go to conventions, so of course I want the manga to go with the anime. I have been on the hunt for volume 5 for a few weeks. I don't get many chances to actually go into a bookstore that has manga, and every time I would go in, they would have 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 14, 16, 17. They never had volume 5 available. Finally the other day when we went to check out a sale, I found volume 5! I have already read it and you can see my review in my Wrap Up.


#5: My Hero Academia #6 by Kohei Horikoshi 

In the aftermath of the sports festival, the class 1-A students begin their internships. Midoriya goes to study under Gran Torino, who was once All Might’s mentor. Gran Torino appears to be a washed-up nutjob, but the old hero still has more moves than a football team, and Midoriya has a lot to learn! Elsewhere, the League of Villains enacts another sinister plot and unleashes a terrifying new enemy!

I'm happy. They had volumes 5 & 6 there. So I grabbed it while I had the time and the money to get my hands on it. This one introduces one of the characters that I adore because of how just...random....Gran Torino. I never understood the fish cake thing, but it is what it is. Now then! I cannot wait to get into this story and continue on. I remember how the anime dealt with Stain, hut I want to know how the manga treats it and if it's similar or different from how they handled it in the show. 


#6: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

It's official: the evil Lord Voldemort has returned. His influence is suddenly everywhere in the Wizarding world, and his former allies, the Death Eaters, are returning to his side in droves. In response, the Order of the Phoenix, which worked to stop him during his last rise to power, has reconvened. This time, all of the adults Harry trusts have joined in. And even though Harry is at the center of many of their plans—Voldemort is intent on killing him, after all—they want so badly to protect him that they are keeping him completely out of the loop. Problems are cropping up at Hogwarts, too, where government officials are meddling in just about everything. And just because Voldemort and the Death Eaters are threatening open warfare does not mean that fifth-year students get out of their exams. Meanwhile, Harry's powerful connection to Voldemort seems to be growing even stronger, as he realizes that he has direct access to the Dark Lord's mind. It's time for Harry and his friends to take drastic action, but the course they choose will have terrible unforeseen consequences.

I have read these before. Hell, I've owned these before in hard cover, but I gave them away and I realized recently how dumb of an idea that was and now I'm slowly purchasing the whole series over again. Now I just need volumes 6 and 7 to complete the original canon series. Not sure if I'm going to buy the screenplays or not. I don't really think of anything past Deathly Hallows as canon, but that's just me. Hopefully I can get the other two volumes before the end of September and I can have all the cool things!


#7: Irena's Children by Tilar J. Mazzeo

In 1942, one young social worker, Irena Sendler, was granted access to the Warsaw ghetto as a public health specialist. While she was there, she began to understand the fate that awaited the Jewish families who were unable to leave. Soon she reached out to the trapped families, going from door to door and asking them to trust her with their young children. Driven to extreme measures and with the help of a network of local tradesmen, ghetto residents, and her star-crossed lover in the Jewish resistance, Irena ultimately smuggled thousands of children past the Nazis. She made dangerous trips through the city’s sewers, hid children in coffins, snuck them under overcoats at checkpoints, and slipped them through secret passages in abandoned buildings. But Irena did something even more astonishing at immense personal risk: she kept a secret list buried in bottles under an old apple tree in a friend’s back garden. On it were the names and true identities of these Jewish children, recorded so their families could find them after the war. She could not know that more than ninety percent of their families would perish.


#8: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive. One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.


#9: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.


#10: Chilling Ghost Stories by Bernhardt J. Hurwood

Ghosts are abroad! Things walk in the night! Here are sixteen shivery, quivery stories to haunt the dark hours - famous stories unchallenged for sheer spookiness. These are stories that dare you to put them down unread. Stories included: The House That Didn't Want Anyone to Live In It, What the Gravedigger Saw, The Pirate Ghost of Gombi Isle, The Midnight Ghost, The Haunted Clock, A-Ling and the Evil Spirits, The Magician, The Thing, The Woman in Green Velvet, The Phantom's Gold, Riding a Tombstone, The Headless Princess, The Woman Who Climbed From Her Grave, The Banshee Whose Feelings Were Hurt, The Ghost Who Helped a Ghost, and The Poltergeist with the Heart of a Genie.

I grabbed this from yard sale in my town for a whopping ten cents. Because it's September and October and Halloween are right around the corner. Who doesn't want creepy ghostie stories right now? It's only 110 pages, so it's something I can read between the other books on my massive October TBR for the Let's Read Voltron challenges. It looks fun though. I can also sub it in for "blue cover" in Lance's prompts. 


#11: A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

First published in 1955, A Night to Remember remains a completely riveting account of the Titanic's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious. Some sacrificed their lives, while others fought like animals for their own survival. Wives beseeched husbands to join them in lifeboats; gentlemen went taut-lipped to their deaths in full evening dress; and hundreds of steerage passengers, trapped below decks, sought help in vain. 

I am a big fan of historical books as well as fiction. And for ten cents, who could pass up a book about the sinking of the Titanic? It is a huge shipwreck that still has the minds of people enthralled even though I'm pretty sure that no one actually involved are alive any more? I will have to look that up. Anyway, it was cheap and looked interesting. 


#12: Where is Joe Merchant? by Jimmy Buffett


Five years ago, rock star Joe Merchant committed suicide, yet he keeps popping back into the tabloid headlines. Where is Joe Merchant? That's what his sister Trevor Kane, the hemorrhoid ointment heiress, wants to know. For South Seas psychic Desdemona, Merchant is the missing link needed to connect her with other worlds. And the mystery of the presumed dead but oft-sighted rock star's disappearance is pulling renegade sea plane pilot Frank Bama into the perilous path of psychos, wackos, pirates, and dictators--on  wild ride from Key West to the Caribbean to a lush tropical paradise where anything can happen...and everything does.

For those of you that don't know (how could you?) I am actually a huge fan of Jimmy Buffett. His was one of the first concerts that I've ever been to. So when I saw this at the yard sale where I got the previous two books, I figured I 


#13: In a Quarter of a Second by Anita Kirk

A young group of space-bowling friends get transported thirty years into the future. They go on a strange adventure/mission to recover items for the city people. They take life into their own hands, experiencing strange difficulties along the way on their journey.

This book was suggested to me by the author on Goodreads. I was like "The synopsis looks....interesting. What's space-bowling?" so I paid the $5 for it and started reading it...and immediately regretted my decision. This book makes no sense whatsoever. The characters are supposedly given whistles that are small, whistle sized, but covered in various buttons. That is physically impossible? I think she put zero effort into making this something readable. I don't know how some people get published. It was almost worth the $5 to have it as a "here's what not to do in publishing" book on my Kindle. I'm not buying her stuff ever again.


#14: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle—the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder. Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle’s teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord’s weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore’s own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry’s—and Hogwarts’s—future in shadow.

I just want to complete my collection of the Harry Potter series in hardback. I am nearly complete with the purchase of this book. I have read this one in the past and now I am happy that I own it again and can re-read it in hardcover whenever I want to. So happy! If you don't know this book series by now, what rock have you been living under?

#15: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 

Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind. T

he protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken. But the Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything he loves. And he knows he can’t keep hiding. 

To stop Voldemort, Harry knows he must find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them. 

He will have to face his enemy in one final battle.

I've started this book, but never read the final two chapters. It's that conundrum of having seen the movies and knowing already how it will end and just not wanting it to. I intend to read it all the way through to the end in this latest reread. This also finally completes my purchasing of the original series in hardcover. I am so happy that I have them all again and with the dust jackets this time. I got rid of my original copies. Ugh, I can't wait to make it all the way to Deathly Hallows again. 

#16: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

A postmodern visionary who is also a master of styles of genres, David Mitchell combines flat-out adventure, a Nabokovian lore of puzzles, a keen eye for character, and a taste for mind-bending philosophical and scientific speculation in the tradition of Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, and Philip K. Dick. The result is brilliantly original fiction as profound as it is playful. Now in his new novel, David Mitchell explores with daring artistry fundamental questions of reality and identity.

Cloud Atlas begins in 1850 with Adam Ewing, an American notary voyaging from the Chatham Isles to his home in California. Along the way, Ewing is befriended by a physician, Dr. Goose, who begins to treat him for a rare species of brain parasite...

Abruptly, the action jumps to Belgium in 1931, where Robert Frobisher, a disinherited bisexual composer, contrives his way into the household of an infirm maestro who has a beguiling wife and a nubile daughter. . . . From there we jump to the West Coast in the 1970s and a troubled reporter named Luisa Rey, who stumbles upon a web of corporate greed and murder that threatens to claim her life. . . . And onward, with dazzling virtuosity, to an inglorious present-day England; to a Korean superstate of the near future where neo-capitalism has run amok; and, finally, to a post apocalyptic Iron Age Hawaii in the last days of history. 

But the story doesn’t end even there. The narrative then boomerangs back through centuries and space, returning by the same route, in reverse, to its starting point. Along the way, Mitchell reveals how his disparate characters connect, how their fates intertwine, and how their souls drift across time like clouds across the sky. 

As wild as a video game, as mysterious as a Zen koan, Cloud Atlas is an unforgettable tour de force that, like its incomparable author, has transcended its cult classic status to become a worldwide phenomenon.

It looked interesting and I already had two other David Mitchell books that both had reviews and praise in/on them for Cloud Atlas, so when I found it for sale as a used book at Books-a-Million for $2 I couldn't pass it up. It will eventually be put on my 2020 reading list one month. It definitely looks good and I cannot wait to get to it.

#17: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Barcelona, 1945. Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, 'The Shadow of the Wind', by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. And before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.

Though I've since gotten rid of it, I once ended up with a copy of The Angel's Game, which is the second book in this series and it's one of those book series where you have to read them in order or you don't know what is going on. So I figured when I found this one for cheap in the store, I would grab it and read it. If I like it, I will reacquire the second book. Hopefully I do actually enjoy it.