top ten tuesday: books for mythology nerds

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is: "April 12: Ten Books Every X Should Read (up to you! Examples: every history nerd, memoir lover, ballet lover, feminist, college student, etc etc.)" I chose to do my list for people who love mythology of all sorts– Greek/Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Indian, etc – because I am obsessed with mythology myself, always have been!

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series– Rick Riordan 

Okay, I'm just going to go ahead and cover my bases here with the Rick Riordan series. Riordan is technically middle grade, but read one of his books without cracking up and then get back to me on that label. Percy is the OG demigod up in here: he's a bamf, even when he's like 12. This series has five books. If you haven't read it already... literally where have you been? One of my all time favorites EVER. 

2. The Heroes of Olympus Series – Rick Riordan

Just when you THINK you're done with Percy... NOPE. Uncle Rick gave us this beautiful and amazing and expansive follow up series of five books which follows Percy and Annabeth and Nico and Grover and our fave gods, then gives us some incredible new characters as well. Five books in this one also, a close runner up to the first series. 

3. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series– Rick Riordan

 This is Riordan's most recent addition to his canon of mythology, this one following Norse gods and demigods instead of the Greek/Roman/Egyptian ones that he has explored in the past. There is only one book out currently, with the second, The Hammer of Thor, coming out later this year. Though I did not fall directly in love with this one quite like I did with the Greek and Roman series, it was still AWESOME and hilarious, in true Riordan fashion. 

4. The Covenant Series– Jennifer L. Armentrout 

More Greeks, more demigods here, but YA instead of MG this time. This series is very similar to the Vampire Academy series, but I honestly love them both. I read Covenant before VA, and I seriously fell head over heels in love with the characters. Five books in this series, mythology less directly involved, more implied and effused. 

5. The Song of Achilles– Madeline Miller

The story of Achilles and Patroclus, from the time that they meet as youths, until both of their untimely demises in the Trojan war. (that's not a spoiler, it's literal, mythological fact) Sweet, adorable, cute, stabby... what more could you want? Patroclus is a cinnamon roll, too good, too pure for this world. Achilles is a sinnamon roll. This is all we need to know. 

 

6. The Chaos of Stars – Kiersten White 

Hello, Egyptian mythology! Welcome, take a seat here with your Greek and Norse counterparts. This is a standalone novel where the main character is the daughter of Isis, Egyptian goddess of marriage and many other things. This book is super romantic, and honestly pretty short, but definitely one of my faves. It could be a quick beach read for you this summer! 

7. Cruel Beauty – Rosamund Hodge

 I don't know if I'm cheating here, because honestly this isn't *about* Greek mythology, specifically. It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. BUT! It is super interesting and different because there are elements of Greek and Roman culture woven into the tapestry of this fairy tale retelling. It is a lot more subtle than the rest of the books on this list, but it's beautiful and captivating, so I included it.

8. The Wrath and the Dawn – Renée Ahdieh

 Also don't know if this one is cheating... but I don't really care, because it feels like it belongs here, to me. This book is a retelling of 1001 Nights, which, in itself, is a little hazy over whether it is classified as a "classic book," a "legend," or a "myth." I like to think of it as a Middle Eastern, Persian myth, and this book has other elements of that culture as well. Gorgeous, gorgeous writing, beautiful characters, engaging plot. LOVE it. 

9. The Grisha Trilogy – Leigh Bardugo 

Though this is set entirely in a fantastical world called Ravka, there are definite influences of Russian culture upon it. There are also echoes of Russian myths, such as that of the Firebird, so if you're looking for something with definite allusions to Russian folklore, this is your book. Also, just a kickass series all around.

10. The Raven Boys Series – Maggie Stiefvater 

Here we come to the last book on our list, which includes some elements of Welsh mythology! Something new and different for us. I know there is like a cult following for this series, but I'm totally not caught up yet, I haven't read Blue Lily, Lily Blue yet!!! So no spoilers. I'm waiting til I get my hands on The Raven King to finish this series. 

I hope you enjoyed this list :) link me to your posts this week!

xx

Caroline

top ten books I don't talk up enough

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at the Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is: "March 22: Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough/In A While," and I am really grateful for the chance to look back into my bookish past and rediscover some old faves that I may have forgotten about!

1. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale– Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt's guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani's journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her.
Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

2. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta– I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs—the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.

And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother—who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

 

3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore – Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...

4. Eleanor and 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.

5. The Covenant Series by Jennifer L Armentrout – The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

6. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black – Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

 

7. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales – Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, This Song Will Save Your Life is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

8. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke – 12 year-old Meggie lives with her father, Mortimer, a bookbinder. Mo never reads stories aloud to Meggie because he has a special gift: when he reads a book aloud, the characters come out of the book and into the real world.

One night, when Meggie was a small child, Mortimer was reading aloud from a book named Inkheart when an evil villain named Capricorn, his aide Basta, and a fire-eater named Dustfinger escape from the book and into their living room. At the same time, Mo's wife Resa gets trapped within the book .

Twelve years later, Capricorn is on a hunt to find and destroy all copies of Inkheart and use Mo's abilities to gain more power for himself in the real world. Meggie discovers her father's secret and, along with the help of Dustfinger and Meggie's eccentric aunt Elinor, fights to free her father and destroy Capricorn.

9. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge – Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

10. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. 

what is on your lists this week? 

xx

Caroline 

bedtime book tag

Hey everyone!! I promised myself that I would do at least one tag post before the month of June was over, and so when I was talking to my friend Violet and she recommended The Bedtime Book tag, I just had to tag myself and give this one a shot! ITS ONLY JULY 2 SO THIS COUNTS. I've gotten this from here if anyone is interested in doing it themselves! I'm not going to tag anyone, except for to tag everyone, so if you want to do this, consider yourself tagged!

1. A Book that Kept You Up All Night Reading

I stayed up all night reading this one because I desperately wanted to get to the end without seeing any spoilers online, so I read it basically all in one sitting on the day that it came out! Many tears were shed, many goodbyes were said, it was all around an emotional night.

 
2. A Book that Made You Scared To Go To Sleep 

I do not do scary books. Or scary movies. Or haunted houses. Basically I tend to avoid being scared for fun. Not because I have a lot of fears, just because I don't find it enjoyable to be jumpy and on edge, and so I don't have a whole lot for this category. However, the world of the 5th Wave freaked me out a lot, so I would say this is the one that comes closest to giving me nightmares.

3. A Book that Made You Go to Sleep 

 I was *so* on board with the premise of this book, I thought it was going to be awesome and different and that I would love it! However, when I read it, two summers ago, it was incredibly disappointing, and I just remember being so bored and waiting for it to be over.

4. A Book That Left You Tossing and Turning All Night in Anticipation of its Release

 For those of you that have read The Mark of Athena, which is the third book in this, The Heroes of Olympus series, you will know that it was one of the most intense and emotional cliff hangers. Then we had an entire YEAR to wait in between that one and this, and so that meant that the night before this was released, I was too excited to sleep.

5. A Book that Has Your Dream Boyfriend 

PAUL *heart eyes emoji* I love him so so much. In my review on this book, I basically just gush for about 500 words about how much I love him. He is loyal and has a strong moral compass, and he is utterly devoted to Marguerite, but he doesn't pressure her at all when she doesn't know where she wants to be with him. He's just perfect and brave and wonderful and I'm obsessed with him. 

6. A Book that Would Be Your Worst Nightmare to Live In

Ok, half of the reason that I really liked this book is because the setting scared the crap out of me, to be honest. I've never read anything like it. This book takes place in an insanely scary world ruled by the Martial Empire, where even a toe out of line could get you disfigured or killed. I liked reading about it, but I would never ever want to live there.

7. A Book that Reminds You of Nighttime

I'm not exactly sure why, but I think of a clear night when I think of this book. Maybe because its kind of dark and twisty, because it takes place in Prague, because of Eretz, the world with two moons, but this is definitely one that reminds me of the night.

8. A Book that Had a Nightmarish Cliffhanger

 Even though I already had the next book in this series when I read this one, I still remember being curled up in a ball on the floor, rocking back and forth, sobbing at the end of this one. Remembering that actually really makes me want to re-read this series...

9. A Book that You Actually Dreamed About

 I'm sure a lot of us have had the Hogwarts dream. I know that I've been sporadically dreaming about Harry Potter since I first read it as a preteen. Who wouldn't want to be whisked away from their life and into a magical wizarding world?

10. A Book Monster that You Would Not Want to Find Under Your Bed 

I'm going to go with a Strigoi vampire from the Vampire Academy series. They are scary as hell, and you have to be like a super badass to beat them. Definitely not something I'd ever want to meet up with.

This was fun!! I always love doing tags. What would your answers be? 

xx

Sunny

top ten tuesday: badass book heroines

Hello all! I'm sorry I've been relatively absent from the blogging sphere for the past couple of weeks, but I've had midterms and an insane amount of writing to do, so that took precedence. But I am back and my schedule is clear for the next couple weeks, so lets talk heroines!

the taylor swift book tag

It's that time again! And by that I mean "Caroline is bored and doesn't want to do homework so she's doing another book tag!" I've been really obsessed with Taylor Swift's new album, 1989, recently, so when I was searching for a tag to do, this one jumped out at me immediately. 

I first saw this tag on Christine's channel (link to that video here), and the original video is here. 

Let's get this party started! 

Top 13 Books of 2013

Well. 2013 is over, and 2014 is here! While I'm so excited about all the releases and books scheduled for 2014, I think its important to sit back and think about all the wonderful books we've hugged, thrown and cried on in 2013. And so, when I watched Katytastic's year end wrap up on YouTube, I was inspired.

The way Kat does it is that an author is only allowed to be on the list once, all books are allowed as long as they are new-to-you (aka: they don't have to have 2013 publishing dates), no rereads count, and finally, this list is not in order of favorites, but more chronological order. Let's get to it!

1) Dark Star- Bethany Frenette

This was one of the first books I read in 2013. I have always been a superhero buff, and I feel like YA just doesn't really touch on the subject that much. So I was so excited to read this. The world was well built up in this one, and there were a lot of questions left unanswered, so I will look forward to reading the sequel, "Burn Bright," which is out this year.


Find it on goodreads

2) Ascend- Book 3 in the Trylle Trilogy- Amanda Hocking



This is the third book in a trilogy, and I marathoned all three books back in January. I must say, the conclusion was my favorite of the three. I loved the way the relationships developed, the ending of the conflict, and the growth of the characters, especially our main character, Wendy. Also, trolls are not a fantasy race that you often see written about, so I enjoyed getting that perspective.


Find it on goodreads

3) Clockwork Princess- Book 3 in the Infernal Devices Trilogy- Cassandra Clare


If I had to pick a favorite book of 2013, this would probably be it. The Infernal Devices is one of my favorite series- ever, and this conclusion was so stunningly beautiful and wonderful and heartbreaking, I don't think I'll ever get over it. I was so sad to say goodbye to Tessa, Will and Jem, but this book was so perfectly written, I daresay I wouldn't want any other books about them. I laughed, I cried (for more than a fair bit of it) and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Find it on goodreads

4) Scarlet- Book 2 of the Lunar Chronicles Quarter- Marissa Meyer


Boy oh boy do I love this series. I read the first book, Cinder, in 2012, and I did like it a little better than Scarlet, but since they were in different years Scarlet definitely makes its way onto this list. I absolutely loved this futuristic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The new characters are just as amazing as the old ones that also feature in this story. I love the way Marissa Meyer writes- its quick paced and never drags, and the way she weaves the elements of the fairytales into these futuristic settings is phenomenal. The Lunar Chronicles is an amazing series, and I can't wait to read the next installment. (Cress, its out February 2014)

Find it on goodreads

5) The Host- Stephenie Meyer


I got this book for Christmas in 2011, and I never finished it, because that was when Twilight was really uncool and I didn't want to be seen with anything by Stephenie Meyer. But I picked it up this year out of curiosity and it turns out I absolutely loved it. It drags a bit in the beginning, but once you get into it, it is a truly amazing story. I haven't read much involving aliens, but this was a really well-written version of them. I love the characters most of all in this book, because at some points the plot does drag, but the characters redeem the story.

Find it on goodreads

6) The Evolution of Mara Dyer-  Michelle Hodkin


This is the second book in the Mara Dyer trilogy, and I think this book just built upon the amazing story that Michelle Hodkin set up in the first book. I love the idea of the unreliable narrator, and the fact that no one can tell what's real and not real. The whole element of psychological problems and insanity really edges out the book. Also, dat cliffhanger doe. So insane. I was reading this in ebook form and I didn't know the end was the end so... that was so scary. I can't wait for the third book, The Retribution of Mara Dyer, out in June.

Find it on goodreads

7) The Fifth Wave- Rick Yancey


Oh my god. This book was a thrill ride from start to finish. I read it on a plane from the east coast to Germany. Nine hours, the book was done. I loved every minute of it. Its got a kick-ass heroine, a quick-paced plot, and a cute boy. What's not to love? This book was also scary because- it could happen. Its not so far off from the truth that you can just discount it as fiction. It could happen. I am so looking forward to the second book in this series.


find it on goodreads

8) Siege and Storm- Book 2 in the Grisha trilogy- Leigh Bardugo



I love this world. This is one of my favorite worlds. In it exists a race of people who are gifted in one way or another, all pledged to the service of a king and a darkling. This is the second book in a planned trilogy, and I thought that book 2 had so many more twists and turns, which I found more enjoyable. The second installment also sets up for what is sure to be an unforgettable book three.


Find it on goodreads

9) Apollyon- Book 4 in the Covenant series- Jennifer L. Armentrout


This is one of my top five favorite series, and I am so glad I picked it up in 2013. I love all four books that I've read so far (the fifth and final was recently released, but I haven't picked it up yet) and the two novellas. To me, this is a grown up Percy Jackson crossed with Vampire Academy. I'm completely taken by this series. It is one of two series that has ever had me in the fetal position, sobbing. There are many feels involved. I love all the books the same, so picking one is arbitrary, but Apollyon is book four and so I picked it. I love love love this series.

Find it on goodreads

10) Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell


This book could fight Clockwork Princess for the top spot of 2013. I absolutely love everything Rainbow Rowell writes (her other YA book, Eleanor and Park, was also a contender for this list), but Fangirl just spoke to me in a way few other books have. I think its for every person who has ever fangirled over something. I saw myself in the main character and in the plot, and I was laughing and crying and enjoying every minute of it. I wish there was more about these characters, because I would read it in a heartbeat. I'm hard pressed to think of too many other books that I enjoyed more than this.

Find it on goodreads

11) The House of Hades- Book 4 in the Heroes of Olympus Series- Rick Riordan


I've loved Rick Riordan since I was in middle school. I passed through those years on Percy Jackson, and when Heroes of Olympus came along, I just loved him all the more. House of Hades is just the next, best, installment in the series. There's not much more to say except that after this book, I can honestly say I love each and every character for a different reason. Even the ones I didn't really like before, I love them now. These books are 100% amazing.

Find it on goodreads

12) The Coldest Girl in Coldtown- Holly Black



I don't normally read a lot of vampire novels, but this one I read and loved. There was something creepy about it, but that creep-factor grabbed my attention and I was held rapt until the end of the story. I just posted a full review here, so go check it out and you can see all my thoughts on this book.



Find it on goodreads

13) These Broken Stars- Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner


Last but not least, here comes These Broken Stars. At first, it reminded me of Titanic in space, but it grew to be so much more than that. I love things that take place in space, and I'm fascinated by space and space travel, so I already loved the premise of this book before I even started it. I loved the survival aspect of it, the character growth, and the way the relationship moved from page one to the end. It was an extremely worthwhile read.


Find it on goodreads




So, that was really difficult. I read so many wonderful books in 2013, and narrowing it down was hard, man. But, there you have it, my top 13 of 2013. May 2014 be filled with just as many amazing reads.

xx
Sunny

Tip Top 25 Favorite Books/Series

This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do. Narrowing down the hundreds of books I've read in my life to a slim list of the top twenty-five books/series. I tried to be selective, at first only putting down the books that I would save if I only had thirty seconds to pick books, but then I couldn't leave out any of my other favorites, sitting there, staring at me with their sad book faces...
I went a little crazy, I think.
In the end, I came up with fifteen series and ten stand-alones, all of which I feel adequately represent my reading choices, at least for the past few years. If you haven't read one or many of these books, I definitely recommend every single one of them! It doesn't matter your taste in books, I truly believe that all of these books have something for everyone.