Casey, with a book

Hello there bookish friends!

I'm still working on that NCIBA haul! It's going to happen! ... But not today.

Instead, I'm trying out a new (to me) meme called #CoverCrush that was created by Kelly and Christy @ Bookcrushin'! Major shoutout to them for permitting me to try it out on my own blog and for generally being awesome bloggers.

Today's cover crush is:

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
YA Fantasy/Retelling, 336 pages
Expected March 5, 2019 from James Patterson Presents/Little, Brown
add to goodreads

While I am semi-hesitant about this James Patterson imprint, I am ALL ABOUT this cover. It reminds me a bit of the Cinder cover since it has a mechanical/sci-fi twist. I love the unexpected neon pink accents to a high-fantasy/historical set-up. But also: it's a gender-bent retelling of the Arthurian story, The Once and Future King, so yes please to all of it.

Has this made any of your TBRs? What do you think of the design? Let me know below!

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mini reviews

Mini Reviews: The Prince and the Dressmaker, Catboy, Snotgirl

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Hello lovely bookish friends!

Today I was going to post my NCIBA haul that I've been hinting at... but wowowow that post is really long and it's taking forever. Instead of rushing it or staying up all night, I decided to just switch my schedule around a little bit. So if all goes to plan, it will go up tomorrow!

This edition of Mini Reviews is going to be focused on three graphic novels (well, graphic works) that I've read recently. And, spoiler alert: I liked them all!

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
YA Graphic Novel, 288 pages
February 13, 2018 from First Second
add to goodreads

My rating: ★★★★

This book hit the perfect sweet spot between being a page turner, an atmospheric and visually stunning piece, and a heartwarming story. It follows a prince who, secretly, at night, takes on a feminine alter ego and dresses in, well, dresses, when he goes out at night. It also follows his dressmaker, whose designs rise to fame, but who is held back by the prince's secret. I love that this book presents a character who breaks gender roles without it necessarily being about gender identity; I just think that's a nice angle to be represented. This book also presents several really lovely relationships that just leave you feeling good inside.

memes · which one wednesday

Which One Wednesday [1]

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

1 comment

Hello bookish friends!

Today's post is inspired by a meme I used to absolutely love over at The Book Rat called Friday Face Off. Sadly, Misty no longer runs it, so I thought I would try my my hand at it.

This is how it works: I present two similar covers, and you leave your vote in the comments for which one did it better!

1. Fragments of the Lost - published November 2017 by Penguin Random House

2. The Devouring Grey - expected April 2019 from Titan Books

Both books are mystery/thrillers with covers that place the viewer as a driver on an empty highway. While #1 looks more like a storm, #2 in enshrouded in mist. Both also have neon pink lettering that fades into the scene. I know which one I like best, but it's up to you...

Which one did it better?

lists · memes · top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books on My TBR

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

1 comment

Hello bookish friends!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is to talk about the longest books we've read. However, I can tell you what those are in one sentence: Harry Potter and Ellen Hopkins. At least according to Goodreads' page counts, and I don't have a better way of measuring.

I thought it would be fun, then, to look at the longest books on my TBR... any maybe re-evaluate how much I want to read them.

I made this list by first organizing all the books on the Goodreads "want-to-read" shelf by page count, regardless of whether it's something I own or just added on a whim.

Here are the books:

lists · wrap ups

September 2018 Wrap Up

Monday, October 8, 2018

1 comment

Hello bookish friends!

September was a month that happened. Is it just me that feels like it happened in the blink of an eye? I didn't get a lot of reading done, but I did enjoy what I read!

Books I read in September

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
YA Fantasy, 409 pages
Published September 18, 2012 by Scholastic
add to goodreads

My rating: ★★★★★

This one was a re-read. A third read, actually. Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite YA authors, if not my very favorite, and The Raven Boys is like her masterwork (in my opinion). My goal is to FINISH the series this year finally, since I have never read book four.

memes · wrap ups

Sunday Post [1]

Sunday, October 7, 2018

9 comments

Hello bookish friends!

Today I'm participating in a new-to-me meme called The Sunday Post (hosted by Kimberly @ The Caffeinated Reviewer)! Since I actually have enough posts to recap for the week, I thought why not share and make some goals for the week ahead!

lists · tags

Halloween Creatures 2.0 Book Tag

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Hello bookish friends,

Today I thought it would be fun to try a Halloween tag to try to embrace the October Halloween vibes! I wasn't tagged by anybody but I found this tag at The Calico Books!

Here are the rules:

answer all prompts
answer honestly
tag 1 - 13 people
link back to this post
remember to credit the creator (Anthony @ Keep Reading Forward)
Have fun!

Witch

a magical character or book

This is one of the most underrated books. I mean, tell me the phrase "regency-era demon hunters" doesn't immediately make you curious!

awards · lists · mini reviews

Mini Reviews (NBA Longlist Edition): The Poet X, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, Blood Water Paint

Friday, October 5, 2018

Hello lovely bookish friends!

So apparently in addition to trying to read every day this month, I'm trying to blog every day, too! (Does that count as Blogtober? Newbie here) (Also: *knocks on wood*)

I've been wanting to start a mini reviews series on my blog for a while -- and I have some reviews that are long, long overdue...

These are not them. Instead, in honor of last week's announcement of the National Book Award 2018 Longlist for Young People's Literature, I want to highlight those books. I believe that of the 10 longlisted titles, 4 are Young Adult Fiction (the others are Middle Grade or Non Fiction) and of those 4 I have read 3. They are all excellent, excellent books and one is even my favorite book of the year so far!

bookselling · kids · lists

Hi, I'm a Children's Bookseller

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Hello, lovely bookish friends!

There's something I haven't talked much about on my blog, but it's a big part of my bookish life: I am a Children's Bookseller.

I mean, I'm a "regular" bookseller, too. Which I have definitely mentioned about 200 times. But specifically, I am in charge of my store's entire kid's section, ranging from picture books to early chapter books to middle grade and young adult.

I have always loved reading YA, but before the Children's Section became my responsibility, it had been a MINUTE since I read a picture book (understandably). But actually, this job has really made me remember all the things that inspired me to love reading as a kid, and it's sparked a deeper passion and appreciation for children's literature and its importance in raising readers!

memes · waiting on wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday: Sorcery of Thorns

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s excited about!

I know that the Fall and especially October is like, prime book release season... but there's not a ton I'm super anticipating that I don't already have access to. Which is a really annoying thing to say, I know! Having access to so many books as a bookseller can be more overwhelming than exciting sometimes, which is where I am with Fall releases.

lists · memes · top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I'd Love to Meet

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

12 comments

Hello, lovely bookish friends!

This Top Ten Tuesday is all about authors I want to meet, which is the perfect prompt for me because I am lucky enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, a literary hotspot/frequent author tour stop, and meeting authors has been a hobby of mine since 2011.

I've been lucky to meet some of my all time favorite authors already, like: John Green, Cassandra Clare, Neil Gaiman, Leigh Bardugo, Maggie Stiefvater, and so many more.

lists · read-a-thons · tbr

October TBR + #30DayBookBinge

Monday, October 1, 2018

Hello, lovely bookish friends!

Apparently, I've been taking an unintended break from blogging and bookstagram lately -- I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I have a love/hate relationship with the social internet and I'll never be the world's most consistent poster -- but October holds so much bookish excitement for me that I can't help but want to share it.

lists · memes · www wednesdays

WWW Wednesday [3]

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

1 comment

What are you currently reading?

Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith

YA Science Fiction, 448 pages

September 25, 2018 from Simon & Schuster

My progress: 75/448

When I heard this was coming out in September, it instantly became my most anticipated book of the year because of how much I love Winger and how much I appreciate Andrew Smith’s weird work in general. I’m about 75 pages into this one and it definitely has his signature craziness, although I’m not sure if it’s sitting right with me this time. Something about this book almost feels too random, and the content is very heavy (and weird) and it’s not very funny which I feel is something Andrew Smith can be very good at. I might need a break from this one but I want to read at least 150 pages before I decide one way or another whether this is for me.

lists · memes · top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Bring Back Memories

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

4 comments

I am honestly such a sucker for nostalgia that I couldn’t resist reflecting on some of my favorite reading memories. I noticed a lot of them come from my childhood and early teen years, so I guess it’s no surprise that I am still super fond of these genres.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Childrens/Early Reader, 276 pages

Published August 23, 2003 by Candlewick Press

There are only a few books I remember my mother reading to me, and of them this is my favorite, and I read it several more times after that. I mostly remember being entranced by the creepy little pencil sketch illustration of the rat Roscuro’s squiggly snout, and begging my mom for one more chapter.

lists · memes · www wednesdays

WWW Wednesday [2]

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

1 comment

WWW Wednesdays is a meme currently hosted by Taking on a World of Words

What are you currently reading?

The Wicked King by Holly Black

YA Fantasy, 336 pages

January 8, 2019 from Little, Brown

For my first WWW Wednesday, I was reading The Cruel Prince, and clearly I ended up loving it because I listed it as my best book of the year so far and now I’m reading the sequel six months before it comes out (and getting ready to hate everything when I’ll have to wait extra long for Book 3). I’m 136 pages in and still loving it. My only qualm is that I feel like the world is getting too big too fast for me to follow. Well, that, and I wish I had more time to binge it.

lists · tbr

July 2018 TBR

Monday, July 2, 2018

I don’t normally make TBRs, let alone stick to them. But this month I’m inspired to actually try to finish the books I chose for myself. I’m sure there will be a little variation, but the main things I want to focus on are:

Reading books on paper with my eyeballs (instead of audio-ing the day away)
Tackling as many ARCs as I can before they release
Dedicating a little time to backlist titles I’ve been itching to read, inspired by the #unreadshelfproject2018

Here’s what I’m aiming for!

lists · tags

Mid Year Book Freak Out 2018

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Hi! It's been a little quiet on this blog lately. A lot has happened in the last couple months! I graduated from school and am now working as a full-time bookseller (yay!) and the transition has been a little exhausting. Finals were one kind of exhausting, but working on your feet 40 hours a week is another kind of exhausting that I'm not accustomed to...

Anyway, now that I'm settling into my new routine, I'm excited to be back to reading and blogging more frequently. And since it's exactly July 1 and everyone and their mother is doing this tag, I thought I would join the fun. If you've posted your Mid Year Book Freak Out somewhere, definitely leave a link below so I can check it out!

1. Best book I've read so far in 2018

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

YA Fantasy, 370 pages

Published January 2, 2018 by Little, Brown

I've read 42 books at this point in the year but I only have three 5 star reads (the other two to follow in question 2). I know The Cruel Prince has been dominating peoples' favorites lists lately, but this one is really the biggest stand-out for me. Holly Black is truly a master of her craft. Her faerie world is rich and dangerously beautiful and the plot is ruthlessly twisty. I also really like Jude, who isn't your typical golden-hearted heroine. She has a dark side that she grapples with, and her fears and anxieties are relatably portrayed. I will doubtlessly be reading the sequel ASAP.

lists · read-a-thons · tbr

April TBR + #30DayBookBinge

Sunday, April 1, 2018

This month I'm so pumped to participate in the 4th round of #30DayBookBinge hosted by Misty @ TheBookRat. I've participated in this readathon-of-sorts with varying levels of success (put simply, if I actually put in the time, I get a lot of reading done, go figure) and this month I'm determined to stick to my goal.

What I love about the Book Binge is that it isn't about how many books you complete; There is one simple goal: to read everyday, be it for only 10 minutes. The idea is to put you back in the groove if you've been in a funk, and for me, it helps me finish books when I have a zillion going on at once. Like I do now, as you will see.

The other thing I love about Book Binge is:

P R I N T A B L E S

Yaaaaaass! I'm making it my secondary goal to update the reading logs in some form every day. There are weekly update journals, reading trackers, a calendar view, even bookmarks and a bookshelf coloring page!

Visit Misty's Post to download your own printables

Ok. Now onto the TBR!

lists · releases

April Releases

This month I don't have any reviews of upcoming books, but there are a few I've started and am excited about! I'll be participating in in April's #30DayBookBinge hosted by Misty @ TheBookRat, so I'm hoping to get through a good amount of these!

Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles, edited by Jessica Burkhart

Nonfiction Anthology, 320 pages

April 10, 2018 from Simon Pulse

As someone on the cusp of the iGen generation who has suffered from severe anxiety from the age of 14, I am acutely aware of the increasing prevalence of anxiety and other mental health concerns among teens in this day and age. I've started reading some of these short essays from authors like Lauren Oliver and Ellen Hopkins, and find it both scary and comforting to see a lot of my struggles reflected back at me. I hope that this book will mean a lot to teens who feel alone and out of control of their minds.

reviews

Review: Blood Water Paint

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

Historical Fiction in Verse, 304 pages

Published March 6, 2018 by Dutton

add to goodreads | print | audio

My rating: ★★★★

This book is both fascinating and timely, and I appreciate it in so many ways.

It's a fictionalized first-person account of the real seventeenth-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, who was known for being one of the rare women to take her rapist to trial.

lists · memes · www wednesdays

WWW Wednesday [1]

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

1 comment

WWW Wednesdays is a meme currently hosted by Taking on a World of Words

What are you currently reading?

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Fantasy, 384 pages
Published January 2, 2018 by Little, Brown
add to goodreads

I've had this book going on in the background for several weeks because it's a buddy read (that's going rather slowly - but only because we're two ridiculously busy people). So far I am really, really liking this. Should I have ever doubted Holly Black? Now I have free reign to finish the book, so I'm hoping to do so in the next week or so!

lists · memes · top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Spring TBR

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

1 comment

We've already established that TBRs mean nothing to me, so these should be taken with a grain of salt. But if I did manage to read all 10 of these books by June 21, I would have to pat myself on the back for staying up to date with recent publications and tackling that TBR.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Gal. You can find the prompts here.

These are the books on my Spring TBR that are...

...Spring Releases

1. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Fantasy, 352 pages

April 24, 2018 from Wednesday Books

I'm probably the most picky Fantasy reader around (yet strangely it always makes it's way onto my TBR) but most of the reviews indicate that this is going to do something different. In a genre that I find tends to have lots of action but little actual substance, I am here for something different. Fingers crossed for this one.

lists · top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Surprised Me

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

8 comments

This prompt was a lot of fun, because surprising books are often the most memorable. Most of these are books I loved (some of my all-time favorites are in this list!), but it was also fun to rant a bit about some books I just did not like!

Let me know your thoughts on any of these if you've read them!

One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel

168 pages, Fiction

Published March 14, 2017 by Scribner

My rating: ★★★★★

This was one of my favorite books of last year. Despite the fact that it is kind of heavy content (it's about child abuse and drug addicted parents and toxic masculinity) the writing was so clear and beautiful, I just couldn't put it down. I was reading it under my desk at school. I did not expect to fall so deeply in love with such a depressing book.

reviews

Review: Bygone Badass Broads

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Happy International Women's Day to all of you leading ladies out there!

I'm excited that the first review of this blog is for a book that celebrates powerful (and totally underappreciated) women from all walks of life with all sorts of incredible stories.

memes · waiting on wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday: Rabbit & Robot

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s excited about!

This week I'm anticipating:

Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith

Science Fiction, 448 pages

September 25, 2018 from Simon & Schuster

goodreads | pre-order | read an excerpt!

Synopsis:

Cager has been transported to the Tennessee, a giant lunar-cruise ship orbiting the moon that his dad owns, by Billy and Rowan to help him shake his Woz addiction. Meanwhile, Earth, in the midst of thirty simultaneous wars, burns to ash beneath them. And as the robots on board become increasingly insane and cannibalistic, and the Earth becomes a toxic wasteland, the boys have to wonder if they’ll be stranded alone in space forever.

I don't even know where to start with this one.

Firstly, I'm an unapologetic Andrew Smith fangirl. He has such a unique, authentic, weird voice. Sometimes too weird. But the weirdness ultimately speaks to a deeper truth, it's a way of giving form to the inner workings of the mind.

memes · top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Quotes

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

I really didn't get the timing right for my first foray into Top Ten Tuesday. I am not a quotes person.

I like to annotate books as a way of helping me engage with a text while I'm reading it, but I do not mark things just because they sound nice, and I rarely find things that truly speak to me. That said, I was surprised that it wasn't that difficult to come of with a list (of only five) quotes that have stuck with me for one reason or another.

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

arc hauls · book hauls · lists

Book Haul [1]

Sunday, March 4, 2018

4 comments

Welcome to the first book haul of my blog!

A couple days ago I got to work and found a box of books with my name on it! (Seriously, my dream come true!) Inside were some ARCs - and one comp! - some of which I requested, some of which were a surprise, all of which I'm super pumped for:

lists · tbr

TBR Wist

Friday, March 2, 2018

TBRs are not my thing.

It doesn't have to do with being a mood reader, it has to do with biting off more than I can chew.

Honestly, picking out a stack of books I'd like to read each month sounds like a luxury. Like, the idea of having a nice little checklist of books and finishing all 176 books I wanted to read and then posting my huuuuuge wrap up stack on #bookstagram sounds too good to be true. People who can do that are bookish superhumans.

lists · releases

March 2018 Releases

Thursday, March 1, 2018