WWW Wednesday (7/31/19)

In this weekly meme, I will answer three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

What do you think you'll read next?

This meme is held by samannelizabeth.wordpress.com. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit with other participants and see what others are reading.

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab - I really enjoyed it! It's a fun, entertaining middle-grade read.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han - I really enjoyed this one too. It's a nice follow-up to To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

What do you think you'll read next?

I just checked these out from the library, so I'll be reading these next.

Top Ten Tuesday / Tear Jerkers

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is a freebie, and I decided to share my favorite tear jerkers. I don't usually cry at books/movies or enjoy sentimental stories, but here are fantastic reads worth the tears.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green - I really connected with the main character in the book and a certain something happened that left me tearing up. If you haven't read it yet, you really need to!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - Before I Fall is a heart breaking novel about a girl who dies in a car crash but then keeps reliving the day over and over. By having to keep reliving the last few hours of her life, the main character learns about kindness, friendship, and love.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - The Book Thief will take you on a wild, emotional ride and leave you sad for weeks. It's worth it though... a really great read.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling - Two words: Sirius Black. You all know what I'm talking about!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Mia is in a car crash that kills her family and leaves her in a coma; she must decide to continue living or go into the great beyond with the rest of her family. Definitely a tear jerker.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Love in the Time of Cholera is about a love that lasts decades, and it really fucked me up for about two weeks.

The Martian by Andy Weir - A biologist/astronaut is accidentally left behind on Mars during an expedition and fights for his life. It's thrilling and every second will leave you breathless. 

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - Centered on a young girl with bone cancer, her sister fights for her right to make a decision about donating her bone marrow. Both the book and the movie - though they have entirely different endings, will leave you in tears.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - This actually took me by complete surprise. It's normally categorized as a science fiction but it's really not... It's a great story says a lot about love and what makes us human.

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - This is a short, sweet, emotional read about a middle aged bookstore owner who receives a mysterious package that changes his life. An unexpected read that is one you will never forget.

The Reading Rush 2019 / My Overall Experience

It's the end of this year's Reading Rush! I ended up reading four books, which considering I've been hella busy at work, is really good.

Total pages read: 1,180

The Darkest Part of the Forest - This meets the challenges of a Book with Five or More Words in the Title and a Book with a Non-Human Character. Like Black's Folk of the Air series, I liked this book more than I thought I would. It was the longest book on my list, so I wanted to get it out of the way first. I'd definitely recommend it for those who liked The Cruel Prince/The Wicked King. The Darkest Part of the Forest on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Carrie - Next I read Carrie by Stephen King. It meets the challenges of a Book with Purple on the Cover, an Author's Debut Novel, and Read a Book then Watch the Movie Adaptation. Though I've watched both film adaptations, this was my first time reading the book. I really enjoyed it; I liked the book better than the movie as the book has more background and context of telekinesis. After reading, I then watched the 1979 film version on Netflix. It's been a while since I've seen the 2013 film, but I stay solid in my belief that the book is ALWAYS better! Carrie on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Leah on the Offbeat - This meet the challenge of read a Book You Meant to Read Last Year. Here's the thing: I did enjoy Leah on the Offbeat, but I also disliked it. I'm sorry, but something about Leah's character really bugs and irritates me. I know others enjoyed it, but it's not my cup of tea. Leah on the Offbeat on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★

Milk and Honey - With Milk and Honey, I was able to cross off the last challenge: Read a Book in the Same Spot. What better way to do that than with poetry? Unfortunately, I didn't like this book. There were a few poems that I really connected with but ultimately, the novel fell flat for me. Milk and Honey on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

How I felt about The Reading Rush

The Reading Rush went well, but I would have liked to have connected more with other participants. I didn't really get into the website that much and I'm still trying to get into Twitter. I feel like I have a harder time connecting with other bloggers, especially on Twitter. I'm still getting a hang of things!

Next year I'll... 

Hopefully this time next year I'll have more followers and be more socially connected. I'll want to participate in more challenges (in addition to the reading challenges) and chat more with other readers.

Did you participate in the Reading Rush? Let me know in the comments! :)

The Reading Rush / Day 6

We're almost to the end of The Reading Rush 2019 and I think I've been doing pretty darn well!

I didn't blog yesterday because I felt like I didn't really have an update... I just read and went to work. I finished Leah on the Offbeat this morning. I have mixed feelings about it, I liked it but also disliked it if that makes sense. Leah on the Offbeat meets the challenge of Read a Book You Meant to Read Last Year. I read and finished Milk and Honey, meeting the challenge of Read a Book in the Same Spot. I couldn't connect to Milk and Honey. I'm not a poetry reader, and I don't want to insult anyone's work, but I felt like it wasn't poetry like I'm used to seeing. There were a few poems that I did connect with but that's the only thing I liked about the novel.

I still need to read a book and watch the film adaptation. I finally read Carrie by Stephen King for The Reading Rush... I think I'm just going to watch the 1979 film to complete the challenge.

I'm not going to blog tomorrow, but I will have a large post Monday explaining my experiences and everything.

The Reading Rush Tracker

1/ Read a book with purple on the cover

2/ Read a book in the same spot the entire time

3/ Read a book you meant to read last year

4/ Read an author’s first book

5/ Read a book with a non-human main character

6/ Pick a book that has five or more words in the title

7/ Read and watch a book to movie adaptation

The Reading Rush / Day 4

Day Four of The Reading Rush was pretty basic.

I finished Carrie by Stephen King; it meets the challenges of a Book with Purple on the Cover and An Author's Debut Novel. I'm thinking of also watching both the original and the remake films and writing a whole big analysis on the story. It'll also meet the challenge of

Tonight I'm starting Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. I flew through Simon vs the Homo Sapien Agenda, so I don't think it'll take long to get through this novel. It'll meet the challenge of Read a Book You Meant to Read Last Year. I think I'm doing pretty well so far.

The Reading Rush Tracker

1/ Read a book with purple on the cover

2/ Read a book in the same spot the entire time

3/ Read a book you meant to read last year

4/ Read an author’s first book

5/ Read a book with a non-human main character

6/ Pick a book that has five or more words in the title

7/ Read and watch a book to movie adaptation

The Reading Rush / Day 3

It's Day Three and I've finally finished my first book for The Reading Rush 2019!

This morning I finished The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black before heading into work early for required training. I really enjoyed it! The novel meets the challenges of a Book with At Least Five Words in the Title and a Book with a Non-Human Main Character - though maybe it doesn't technically qualify for the last one but it has fairies so I'm counting it! I spent my lunch break catching up on YouTube videos and updating this post.

Tonight, I'm diving into Carrie by Stephen King. I've seen both movie adaptions and still haven't read the book so I'm definitely looking forward to this read. Carrie meets the challenges of a Book with Purple on the Cover and an Author's Debut Novel. It's pretty short so it shouldn't take more than a day to read. I had originally planned to read A Monster Calls as the Read a Book Then Watch the Film Adaptation, but I may just watch the original Carrie film since it's on Netflix. We'll see what happens!

How is your Reading Rush going? Let me know in the comments!

WWW Wednesday (7/24/19)

In this weekly meme, I will answer three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

What do you think you'll read next?

This meme is held by samannelizabeth.wordpress.com. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit with other participants and see what others are reading.

What are you currently reading?

This week is The Reading Rush 2019, so I'm definitely reading but I'll be writing separate posts so keep an eye out!

What did you recently finish?

Wilder Girls by Rory Power - I read this last week but somehow managed to forget to mention it in my last WWW Wednesday. It's a fantastic read and easily one of my favorite books of the year. Click here to read my full review. Wilder Girls on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim - Miracle Creek is a great courtroom thriller full of family drama and great writing. Miracle Creek on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★★★

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He - It's a unique read but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Others gave it a good review and even though I didn't like it, that doesn't mean you should give it a try. Descendant of the Crane on Goodreads. My rating: ★★

What do you think you'll read next?

Here are just ideas on what I'll read after The Rushing Rush.

The Reading Rush / Day 2

It's Day Two of The Reading Rush! Today's wrap-up is going to be a short one. The Reading Rush is an annual readathon. Click here to check out my Day One wrap-up. 

So today I'm still reading The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black and I'm still really enjoying it. I'm hoping to finish it tonight or by the latest tomorrow. The novel meets the challenges of A Book with Five or More Words in the Title and A Book with a Non-Human Character. I know that technically the main characters are human, but this was a hard challenge to find books for and there's freaking FAIRIES in it, so I think it should count.

Next I'm going pick up Carrie by Stephen King. The edition I have has purple on the cover so it meets the challenge of A Book with Purple on the Cover; it's also King's first published novel so it meets An Author's Debut.

More tomorrow!

The Reading Rush / Day 1

It's the beginning of this year's The Reading Rush! If you haven't heard of this readathon yet, check it out HERE. 

I'm starting out by reading The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. It fits the challenges of A Book With at Least Five Words in the title and A Book with a Non-Human Character. If I'm in a pinch towards the end of the week, this book has a tiny spot of purple on it which could count as A Book with Purple on the Cover.

I don't go to work until about 11 a.m. or noon, so I spent a good portion of my morning starting The Darkest Part of the Forest. I knew it contained fairies, but I didn't realize it's parallel to the world of The Folk of the Air. Similar to that series, I'm also finding myself enjoying the book a lot more than I thought I would. I don't know what it is about fairies, but I thought it would be a struggle for me to get the book... I'm actually enjoying it quite a lot. 

Right after working my normal office hours, I had to attend a meeting but that didn't last long so I got home around 7 p.m. I'm about 120 pages into The Darkest Part of the Forest, so hopefully it won't be long until I finish it. Next I'll either read Leah On the Offbeat or Carrie by Stephen King. 

I'll read more before turning in for the night. Check back tomorrow for my Day Two update! :)

WWW Wednesday (7/17/19)

In this weekly meme, I will answer three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish?

What do you think you'll read next?

This meme is held by samannelizabeth.wordpress.com. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit with other participants and see what others are reading.

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading The Cheerleaders, which is a psychological thriller about five cheerleaders who died within months of each other. I'm almost done with it.

What did you recently finish?

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell - This was an average read. It's an enjoyable read, but I knew what was going to happen a third of the way into the novel. Then She Was Gone on Goodreads. My rating: ★★★

What do you think you'll read next?

I'm definitely going to pick up Miracle Creek; I've heard amazing things about it. I've also checked out the ebook for Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me from the library. I'm going to be busy next week with The Reading Rush read-a-thon, so I need to read it before the weekend.

Top Ten Tuesday / Auto Buy & Auto Read Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is Favorite Auto Buy Authors, which I'm going to combine with Auto Read Authors because your girl be poor!

Tana French - French is fantastic at writing suspenseful, exciting mysteries! I haven't read all of her novels yet - there's quite a few - but I believe I've read four or five and I recently purchased another one a few weekends ago. I highly recommend her novels for those who like a good mystery.

Gillian Flynn - Flynn is the queen of psychological thrillers. I've read all of her books and there was only one I wasn't a fan of. Flynn is great at writing dark, thrilling stories.

Libba Bray - I've liked Bray ever since reading her Gemma Doyle series in junior high. I've also been reading her The Diviners books, which are super addicting and awesome.

Erik Larson - Larson is a non-fiction writer who expectedly crafts great reads that don't feel like non-fiction! I've read three of his books, and I loved all of them.

Rainbow Rowell - Though I've yet to read her Simon Snow stories, I've read and enjoyed her other novels.

Celeste Ng - Ng writes great, character-drive dramas. There's not much action, but her stories are a slow-burning type that focuses on character development.

Markus Zusak - Ever since reading The Book Thief in high school, Zusak has been an auto read author for me. I've yet to read Bridge of Clay but it's on my TBR.

Stephen King - I love mostly all of King's books that I've read so far. He has sooo many, and there's sooo many I haven't read yet, but I'm working on it!

Angie Thomas - The Hate U Give and On The Come Up are fantastic, well-written books, so obviously read Thomas's future works!

Karen McManus - One of Us is Lying is a thrilling ride, and while I didn't enjoy Two Can Keep a Secret, I'm definitely going to read the sequel to One of Us is Lying and McManus's other future works.

The Reading Rush 2019 TBR

I'm excited to announce I'll be participating in The Reading Rush this year! So basically, I've picked books in the seven categories to read during the read-a-thon, which is taking place July 22-27. I don't expect to actually be able to complete this challenge because I'll have a large project taking place at working that week. However, I've chosen small books to help my odds of completing the challenges.

I didn't realize I could double dip in the categories, so this is a condensed list from my original picks.

Read a book in the same spot: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

I figured a book of poetry would be best to read a book in the same spot. I'm not much of a poetry person, but I've been wanting to pick up Milk and Honey for a while.

Read a book you meant to read last year, read a book with purple on the cover: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

I meant to read this last year, and I recently finished the first book so I decided to read Leah on the Offbeat for this one. It also has a pink/purple-ish purple cover on the front so it can fit into the "read a book with purple on the cover" category.

Read an author's debut novel: Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung or Carrie by Stephen King

I purchased Forgotten Country at a used bookstore (that was supposed to be haunted but all I found were rooms of books and two cats, lol) then realized I had it on my TBR this whole time. It's Chung's debut and also short enough for this read-a-thon. I may also switch out Forgotten Country with Carrie. It's Stephen King's first published novel and my copy has purple on the cover.

Read a book with a non-human character, read a book with five or more words in the title, read a book with purple on the cover: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

This was the hardest category for me to find! I eventually settled on The Darkest Part of the Forest. I'm not entirely sure what it's about, but I believe there's fairies in it. There's also a hint of purple on the cover, so this can count as a book with purple if I end up in a bind.

Read a book then watch the movie adaptation: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I've been meaning to read this for soooooo long! Now it's finally time! The movie looks awesome as well.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Wilder Girls

By Rory Power
Published: Delacorte Press, 2019
Pages: 348
Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Amazon, Goodreads

"We don't get to choose what hurts us” 

About the book

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Review

Wilder Girls is the YA horror novel I didn't realize I needed in my life until now.

Power's writing is creepy and fantastic. She paints such vivid, gross scenes wrapped in an eerie atmosphere, such as:

He's rotting from the inside out. Tissue mottled with mold, the smell so sour and stinging that my eye is watering. Something scuttles up my jacket sleeve, first one then another, and another, and in the red light of a flare I make out the gleam of a hundred wingback beetles crawling out of the wound.

And:

Some days it’s fine. Others it nearly breaks me. The emptiness of the horizon, and the hunger in my body, and how will we ever survive this if we can’t survive each other?

From the very first paragraph, readers can tell the story is disturbing and sinister. Call me old fashioned, but this is how horror should be: a take all, no survivors, freaky as fuck war zone.

I feel like Wilder Girls makes a statement about sticking together and the importance of friendship. I haven't read many of the other reviews about Wilder Girls, but we as women need to stand together and watch each others' backs. In the novel, the school girls are in survival mode: they stay in their groups and watch out for one another. Without giving too much away, the main characters Hetty, Reese, and Byatt are separated from one another. Through the horrors, illness, and traumas taking place around them, the girls reflect on their relationships with each other. Throughout the story's development, the girls on the island are abandoned, left to fend for themselves, but the one thing the main characters still have is their friendship. And that's a pretty awesome thing.

Wilder Girls is easily one of my favorite books of the year and one I'd definitely recommend!

RATING (out of five puppies)