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 tuesday: romances

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, where each week we highlight a different category of the bookish lifestyle. This week is a free week, and we can pick anything that we want to post about. I personally have been in a particularly swoony mood all week, so I chose to talk about my top ten favorite book romances. (keep in mind though that these are not necessarily my favorite book couples, I just enjoy their stories the most.) These are examples of events that made my put down the book and squeal from the adorableness, cry happy tears, or be sad because these are things that do not happen to normal people. Let's all appreciate the love here people.

1.Will and Tessa from The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. Clockwork Princess especially is just a riot of swoon-worthy moments, but really all three books are just golden for these two. To see Will grow from a distant and snarky boy to someone deeply in love is one of the most powerful changes in any book that I've read.  I'm also just partial to the fact that, no matter what, Will and Tessa need each other and, even when all seems hopeless, they can't help but have hope for each other. The epilogue of Clockwork Princess completely ruined me, it was so beautiful and indicative of the depth of love between the two.

2. Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. One of my favorite tropes in books is a friendship that grows into something more, and the way that Anna and Etienne do this is magical. They are two people who just seem to get one another, from the very beginning, and even though they're both unavailable for romance at the beginning, their relationship deepens to something more meaningful than either of them realize. Another favorite trope of mine is the idea of home being a person, and for Anna and Etienne, this is adorably wrought.

3. Macallan and Levi from Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg. This is the classic When Harry Met Sally syndrome of two friends who can't quite get the timing right to grow into something more. This book stretches through years, and the constant thing throughout those years is Macallan and Levi's unbreakable friendship. Though they both date other people in the story, it is clear to the reader that the only way they will ever work is if they're together. The rest of the time you're just waiting for they themselves to figure that out.

4. Lara Jean and Peter from To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. Lara Jean starts off the book by hiring Peter to be her fake boyfriend to prove that she is over someone in her past. However, as most fake-boyfriend situations do, Lara Jean and Peter grow from business partners to something more, something that is scary for the both of them to admit, even to themselves. They're a bit awkward, and that makes their story that much more adorable.

5. Tamlin and Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This is a recent release, which means that this story has to be REALLY good to make it into this top ten. However, I have always loved the story of beauty and the beast, of looking past stereotypes and first impressions to the person that lies underneath them, and Maas does this in an incredibly fresh, engaging and sexy way. Tamlin is a perfect match for Feyre (though we all love to hate Rhys) and though it takes them awhile to get there, their romance is sweeping and grand.

6. Emma and Mr. Knightley from Emma by Jane Austen. I have always loved Emma's romance, almost more than other Austen heroines'. The idea that Emma didn't have to marry, that she never planned to need anyone other than herself, but somehow found herself drawn to her older brother figure with a passion that surprises even her? Beautiful, in my opinion. Emma may be silly and a little bit vain, but Mr. Knightley knows this and everything else about her, and loves her anyway. There is a level of transparency between these two that only comes from years of friendship, and it is beautiful.

7. Paul and Marguerite from A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. Two people jumping through the multiverse makes for a complicated love story, especially when one of them is suspected of murdering the other's father, but that is what makes Paul and Marguerite so different and also amazing. Even though this story takes place in four different parallel universes, somehow Paul and Marguerite end up near each other in every single one. Their closeness is not only on a physical level, but also seemingly soul-deep. I love the idea that, even in different worlds, if two people are meant to be together, they will be.

8. Amy and Roger from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. Amy and Roger have the slow burn type of romance that takes a while to get off the ground, but that makes the moment that it does so much better. They both have walls and secrets and things that they'd rather hide, but something about being in the car, driving cross-country alone tends to bring out the secrets in these two, and it is wonderful to watch them begin to trust and care for each other as the state lines pass under their wheels.

9. Isadora and Ry from The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White. Isadora and Orion (or Ry) are the definition of star-crossed lovers. Mixed up in ancient mythology, epic poetry and culture, these two start off as uneasy friends. It is clear from the beginning that Ry has feelings for Isadora, but for her it takes longer to let him in, past her hard exterior that is a product of her unusual childhood. The twist at the ending for these two is something that I want to read again and again.

10. Harper and David from Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. The idea of two people, sworn enemies, snarking and sassing each other until somehow, their feelings of hatred grow into something else is something that I will never tire of. For Harper, David is the last person that she would ever want to fall for, but when it actually starts happening (while in the background she fights a supernatural force, of course), it isn't so terrible? I adore this pair.

what are some of your favorite romances?

xx
Sunny

january wrap-up

I think wrap-ups are a good way to keep track of what you read and when you read it over the course of a year. I also like to look back and see how the last month of my life has been, reading-wise. Therefore, I present to you my January wrap-up.

I read a total of nine books in the month of January, which was a little less than I wanted, but it was still a pretty stellar month in terms of reading!

1. Until Midnight – Melissa Landers ☆☆☆☆
(spoilers!) Cara and Aelyx only have one day to spend together before he returns to earth and she travels to Aelyx's home planet, L'eihr. Homesick and worried about the upcoming year apart, Cara is desperate to make these final hours count. Worst of all, Cara is missing Christmas, stuck on board an alien spaceship. When Aelyx learns that Cara is forgoing her favorite holiday, he tries to recreate Christmas in space by researching traditional earth customs…but a few things get lost in translation.
 

 2. Heir of Fire – Sara J Maas  ☆☆☆☆☆
(MAJOR spoilers!!)  
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

3. On the Fence – Kasie West ☆☆☆☆
For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.
To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

4.  Humans of New York – Brandon Stanton ☆☆☆☆☆
In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton set out on an ambitious project: to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City.  Armed with his camera, he began crisscrossing the city, covering thousands of miles on foot, all in an attempt to capture New Yorkers and their stories.  The result of these efforts was a vibrant blog he called "Humans of New York," in which his photos were featured alongside quotes and anecdotes.
Humans of New York is the book inspired by the Internet sensation. With four hundred color photos, including exclusive portraits and all-new stories, Humans of New York is a stunning collection of images that showcases the outsized personalities of New York.
Surprising and moving, Humans of New York is a celebration of individuality and a tribute to the spirit of the city.

5. Defy – Sara B Larson ☆☆☆☆
Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

6. Ignite – Sara B Larson  ☆☆☆☆
(spoilers!!) 

Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

7. The Chaos of Stars (re-read) – Kiersten White ☆☆☆☆☆
 
Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of Paranormalcy, is back with The Chaos of Stars—an enchanting novel set in Egypt and San Diego that captures the magic of first love and the eternally complicated truth about family.
 
Isadora's family is seriously screwed up—which comes with the territory when you're the human daughter of the ancient Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris. Isadora is tired of living with crazy relatives who think she's only worthy of a passing glance—so when she gets the chance to move to California with her brother, she jumps on it. But her new life comes with plenty of its own dramatic—and dangerous—complications . . . and Isadora quickly learns there's no such thing as a clean break from family.

8.  The Year I Turned Sixteen – Diane Schwemm ☆☆☆

 Turning sixteen is an unforgettable milestone, and each of these four sisters has her own story to tell. Rose, the oldest, feels like she has the most responsibility when her father dies, and yearns to be true to herself. Daisy wants to break free from her family, but trouble arises when she falls for a bad boy. Laurel struggles with the loss of a close relative and finds herself drawn to a boy who may actually understand. And Lily, the youngest sister, feels like nothing could be more difficult than actually being herself. These four books in one special bind-up make for a great value—and an even better read.

9. These Broken Stars – Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner ☆☆☆☆


Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.






So what did you guys read in the month of January?

xx
Sunny

sunday summations

This is an old series that I've chosen to revamp. Sunday Summations is a time where we discuss what we've read in the past week and our goals for the next week!

Last week I finished Ignite by Sara B Larson (4 stars), re-read the Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White (5 stars), read The Year I Turned Sixteen by Dianne Schwemm (3 stars) and re-read These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (4 stars).

Today, my friend Violet and I will begin our readalong of Frostfire by Amanda Hocking, which I am super excited for! The Trylle trilogy were some of my favorite books of 2013, so I can't wait to get back into that world. I have also just begun Splintered by A.G. Howard. I've been meaning to pick up the series for a while, and now that I have attained the conclusion to the trilogy, I am planning on marathoning Splintered, Unhinged and Ensnared this week. Those are tentative goals, though, because I'm also working on something very exciting...

I've just finished planning and workshopping a new novel idea! So, this week will be the first bit of actual writing involved, which I'm very excited about. That being said, I might not have as much time for reading as I'd like, but this is such an exciting thing that I don't mind it that much.

So, what have you guys read this past week, and what are you planning on reading this coming week?

judging books by their covers

Admit it. It's something we all do. As much as we want to claim that we are fair and objective when it comes to books, everyone forms opinions about books based on how they look. That's why we cringe so much when bad covers happen to good books, and when covers change to something that we don't think represents the story. It's also why we happy-tears cry over covers that are just so gorgeous they HURT.
I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. There are so many amazing YA books out there today, there is no way you can walk into your local bookstore and spend hours combing through the section, reading every single synopsis and ignoring the covers. I think covers are our first filter for the books we think we might like. I know I am definitely drawn to certain books over others because they have a pretty or interesting cover. And most of the time, my cover senses end up being pretty dead on in picking good books. So, maybe not such a bad thing, as long as we don't completely rule out books that don't have those amazing covers.
I thought I would share a few of my most favorite covers!

Best

1. These Broken Stars and This Shattered World – Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

2. Throne of Glass Series – Sarah J Maas

3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Sáenz

4. I'll Give You The Sun – Jandy Nelson

5. The Chaos of Stars – Kiersten White 

6. The Grisha Trilogy – Leigh Bardugo

7. Starry Night – Isabel Gillies

8. Unspoken – Sarah Rees Brennan (a cover change I will NEVER FORGIVE)

9. The Fault In Our Stars – John Green

10. A Thousand Pieces of You – Claudia Gray











Those are just a few of my personal favorites. Let me know some of yours!

xx
Sunny

Look At Her Go: Reviewin' Reviewin': The Chaos of Stars

The Chaos of Stars




Kiersten White




☆☆☆☆☆/☆☆☆☆☆


As we should all know by now, if you're an author and you want me to read your book, put mythology in it. Any type, any variety, from around the world. Myths, folklore, even just a campfire story that's been passed down for generations, if its mythology, I'm there. So that's what first drew me to The Chaos of Stars. I've only ever read Rick Riordan's take on Egyptian mythology, and this drew me in immediately for that reason.

Plus the cover. LOOK AT IT. Those stupid covers with their beautiful script and prettiness, always dragging me in.

This book centers around a girl named Isadora, who grows up in a relatively normal childhood in Egypt... or so she thinks. But her perspective's pretty skewed since her mother is Isis and her father is Osiris, ancient Egyptian gods. So she grows up with them until she reaches that lovely stage in her teenage years where she decides she doesn't like them anymore, and begs to be sent to live with her brother in San Diego. However, as she settles into a new life, complete with a mysterious and beautiful guy on the horizon, Isadora is unaware of a growing danger back home in Egypt, and the fact that, when your mother is an immortal goddess, there is little escape.

I didn't expect to love this book. Honestly, I didn't. And in the interest of keeping this a non-spoilery review, I'm not going to say exactly what made my mind up that I loved it, but it had something to do with unexpected plot details and blue eyes. But I really did fall in love with the world, as well. The way that the gods and goddesses are portrayed- as busy people, working parents- was something that I truly enjoyed reading. I'd never seen the mythology set up that way, and that was something very refreshing to see.

I also fell in love with the characters. Now, you might have seen, as I did before I started this book, about the interwebs something about Isadora being a whiny main character. You know what, spoiler alert- SHE IS. But she's also an angry, frustrated teenager, acting out against her parents. Her annoying-ness is what makes her real. Look around, you'll find many Isadoras in your life. But, the main point is that she gets better. The characters that are placed around her redeem her in innumerable ways, and I was so deeply enthralled with Tyler and Scott and Deena and Sirius and even Isis and the other gods. They formed a perfect cast of characters. AND THEN THERE'S RY. BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL RY. I fell in love with him on the very first page that he was mentioned.

So yeah, I honestly just enjoyed the reading of this book. It was nice to just sit back and get lost in this story. I let myself be open to it, and I think that's why I loved it so much. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of mythology and lovers of sweet stories in general.

Quotes: (didn't write the pages for these... sorry!)

“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” 

“I will fill myself with the desert and the sky. I will be stone and stars, unchanging and strong and safe. The desert is complete; it is spare and alone, but perfect in its solitude. I will be the desert.” 

Hope you've enjoyed! 

xx 

Sunny