December 31, 2016

2016 Reading Challenges

2016 Goodreads Challenge: Read 116 books in 2016. 
Challenge Met: 135 books read this year. (116% of goal)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/stats/2924016-literarymarie#pages
2016 Page Count Challenge: Read 35,000+ pages in 2016.
Challenge Met: 38,806 pages read this year. (111% of goal)

Perpetual Kinsey Millhone Challenge: Continue to read books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton.
Challenge Missed: Read 0 Kinsey Millhone books this year. Oopsie!

Perpetual Jack Reacher Challenge: Continue to read books in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.
Challenge Met: Read 2 Jack Reacher books this year.


Keeping Up with Patterson Challenge: Continue to read books in the Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett series by James Patterson.
Challenge Met: Read 6 KUWP books this year.


2016 Bookish Kill Your TBR Challenge: 12 themes to help knock out titles on To Be Read shelves.
Challenge Met: Read 33 (12 themes) Bookish KYT books this year.


2016 PopSugar Reading Challenge: Read a wide range of 40 books spanning genres.
Challenge Almost Met: Read 34 Popsugar books this year. Click the title/author for my previously published review of the books featured in this reading challenge.
  1. A National Book Award Winner: Getting Mother's Body by Suzan-Lori Parks
  2. A YA Bestseller: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
  3. A Book I Haven't Read Since High School: What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage
  4. A Book Set In My Home State: Writing My Wrongs by Shaka Senghor
  5. A Book Translated to English: Perfect Days by Raphael Montes
  6. A Romance Set in the Future: F*ck Love by Tarryn Fisher
  7. A Book Set in Europe: The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
  8. A Book That's Under 150 Pages: Ms. Marvel No Normal Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson
  9. A NYT Bestseller: Home by Harlan Coben
  10. A Book That's Becoming a Movie This Year: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
  11. A Book Recommended by Someone I Just Met: The Mothers by Brit Bennett
  12. A Self-Improvement Book: We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  13. A Book I Can Finish in a Day: Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
  14. A Book Written by a Celebrity: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
  15. A Book From Oprah's Book Club: Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile
  16. A Science Fiction Novel: Liar by Justine Larbalestier
  17. A Book Recommended by a Family Member: The Mother by Yvvette Edwards
  18. A Graphic Novel: Archie Married Life 2 by Paul Kupperberg
  19. A Book That is Published in 2016: I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan
  20. A Book With a Protagonist Who Has My Occupation: Falling by Jane Green
  21. A Book That Takes Place During Summer: Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
  22. A Book and Its Prequel: Killing Floor & Night School by Lee Child
  23. A Murder Mystery: A Murder Among Friends by Jennifer Lewis Williams
  24. A Book Written by a Comedian: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
  25. A Book With a Blue Cover: Untwine by Edwidge Danticat
  26. A Book of Poetry: milk and honey by Rupi Kaur
  27. The First Book I See in a Bookstore: First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
  28. A Classic From the 20th Century: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
  29. A Book From the Library: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
  30. A Book About a Road Trip: Getting Mother's Body by Suzan-Lori Parks
  31. A Book About a Culture I'm Unfamiliar With: The Illegal by Lawrence Hill
  32. A Satirical Book: The Sellout by Paul Beatty
  33. A Book That Takes Place on an Island: Just Like Me by Nancy Cavanaugh
  34. A Book That's Guaranteed to Bring Me Joy: A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi


You May Also Be Interested In:
Top 5 Series of 2016
Top 10 Books of 2016
Top 10 Book Covers of 2016
Top 10 First Lines of 2016

December 22, 2016

Top 10 Books of 2016

It is my literary duty to bring the top books I've read this year to the forefront and highlight my favorites. Please note that my list is purely my opinion. It is not influenced by authors, other readers, other bloggers, fellow reviewers or publishers that may have provided free or advance copies in exchange for my honest review.

Click the title/author for my previously published review of the books featured in my Top 10 Books of 2016.



10. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

9. One by Sarah Crossan

8. The True Story of Atticus and Hazel by Fisher Amelie

7. Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

6. The Mother by Yvvette Edwards

5. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer



4. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

3. I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi

2. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

1. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult


You May Also Be Interested In:
Top 5 Series of 2016
Top 10 Book Covers of 2016
Top 10 First Lines of 2016

 

December 20, 2016

Top 10 Book Covers of 2016

A book cover is the most important feature of a novel. I always wonder why the author or publisher chose a particular image to represent the story within the book. Does it grab my attention from a bookshelf? Does it represent the author or characters, especially those of color? Does it really portray the plot? Is it appealing and public-friendly? These are the factors I considered when choosing the top 10 covers of books I've read this year.

Click the title/author for my previously published review of the books featured in my Top 10 Book Covers of 2016.



10. Never by Joy Avery

9. The Mother by Yvvette Edwards

8. Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters



7. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

6. One by Sarah Crossan

5. A Murder Among Friends by Jennifer Lewis Williams



4. Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett

3. The True Story of Atticus and Hazel by Fisher Amelie

2. F*ck Love by Tarryn Fisher

1. The Blackbirds by Eric Jerome Dickey



















You May Also Be Interested In:
Top 5 Series of 2016
Top 10 Books of 2016
Top 10 First Lines of 2016

December 18, 2016

Top 5 Series of 2016


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along. Have you ever read a book and wasn't quite ready to leave the characters? Or have you read a book with a cliffhanger? This is why I heart series! I get to revisit characters and follow them through fictional life. Below are the top 5 books that belong to a series that I've read this year.

Click the title/author for my previously published review of the books featured in my Top 5 Series of 2016.




5. Killing Floor / Night School by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #1 / Prequel #21)

4. 15th Affair by James Patterson (Women's Murder Club #15)

3. Cross Kill by James Patterson (Alex Cross #23.5)

2. Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins (Old West #1)

1. Home by Harlan Coben (Myron Bolitar #11)


You May Also Be Interested In:
Top 10 Books of 2016
Top 10 Book Covers of 2016
Top 10 First Lines of 2016

 

December 16, 2016

Top 10 First Lines of 2016


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along. First lines are what grab readers. It is our first impression. It sets the tone for the remainder of the book. 

What makes a good first line? Clever wording. A bold statement. A sentence(s) that prompts me to nod my head, say hmmm and read further. Below are the top ten first lines from books I've read this year. Hopefully these spark your attention too.

Click the title/author for my previously published review of the books featured in my Top 10 First Lines of 2016.

10. "A dead bolt has a very specific sound." ~ Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

9. "We didn't believe when we first heard because you know how church folk can gossip." ~ The Mothers by Brit Bennett

8. "I remember what was playing when the car slammed into us." ~ Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

7. "When I found my husband at the bottom of the stairs, I tried to resuscitate him before I ever considered disposing of the body." ~ The Passenger by Lisa Lutz 

6. "On the sidewalk outside 57 Great Jones Street, the usual sad lineup of crack addicts slept in the burning sun. Inside the two-story brick building, Jean-Michel Basquiat was asleep in his huge bed, bathed in blue television light. The air conditioner was broken and the room felt like a microwave oven. The bathroom door was ajar, revealing a glimpse of a black and tan Jacuzzi tub. On the ledge of the tub was a small pile of bloody syringes." ~ Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art by Phoebe Hoban

5. "I'm a liar. And I don't care who knows it. I make stuff up all the time." ~ Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

4. "Where my panties at?" ~ Getting Mother's Body by Suzan-Lori Parks 

3. "My cup of tea is on the bedside table. It is where he has always left it; every morning of the eighteen years we have been married he has made me a cup of tea, brought it up, and left it on the side, and normally that's all it is; a cup of tea on the side. But today is not a normal day." ~ The Mother by Yvvette Edwards

2. "As I sit here with one foot on either side of the ledge, looking down from twelve stories above the streets of Boston, I can't help but think about suicide." ~ It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

1. "No, no. I insist you stop right now. Still here? Awesome. Now you're not allowed to blame me for anything in this book because I told you to stop reading and you just kept going." ~ Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

You May Also Be Interested In:
Top 5 Series of 2016
Top 10 Books of 2016
Top 10 Book Covers of 2016


December 15, 2016

The Sun is Also a Star


"People spend their whole lives looking for love. Poems and songs and entire novels are written about it." ~ pg. 58

Natasha is going to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This is the last day she has to find someone to help her. Her family are undocumented immigrants and being deported to Jamaica tonight. Natasha doesn't believe in fate, only science and facts. She is definitely not the googly-eyed girl who falls in love with a cute boy on a crowded New York City street.

Daniel is the good son. Unlike his failure of a brother, Daniel is a good student and lives up to his parents' expectations. He is on the fast track to become a professional; although, his dream is to be a poet. Daniel believes in destiny, the stars aligning just so, allowing him (an overachieving Korean) and Natasha (a Jamaican girl sporting a big afro) to meet. The Sun is Also a Star details the one (1) day these two random people experience together.

"We're trying to fit a lifetime into a day." ~ pg. 320

Every moment has brought us to this single moment. You logging onto the internet, accessing my website, clicking and reading this review. A million different paths could have brought you here. It is kind of awesome when you think about how fate in the universe works. The Sun is Also a Star helped me realize this.

Nicola Yoon done did it again! The Sun is Also a Star is so damn touching and way beyond the traditional bestselling YA novel. The story is unlikely to happen in real life yet it developed so naturally. It is easily one of the best books I have read in 2016.

Title: The Sun is Also a Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
Published: November 2016
Pages: 344
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Chemist


Settle in for an out-of-my-norm-but-read-it-anyway review, bookhearts.

An ex-agent is on the run from former employers. She worked for the U.S. government until they decided she was a liability. She just knew way too much! So now she uses fake names, wears disguises, travels light and often to stay low-key. Until one day she is offered a way out: take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

"I am the bogeyman in a very dark and scary world." ~ pg. 224

This woman is a beast! Known in the dark world as "the chemist," she strikes me as a cross between Huck from Scandal and Mr. Kaplan from The Blacklist. Her tactics are brutal yet efficient. Her strategies are well-planned. Her very own life is priority. But then she falls for the subject, making her likelihood of survival complicated.

It is so hard to imagine this is the same author that wrote the Twilight series (which I loved btw). Yeah, it is clear why Stephenie Meyer is a worldwide bestselling author but with this new release, her writing has matured. It still has her descriptive signature style but with a grown feel to it. There are no vampires, werewolves or naive teenagers. The characters in The Chemist are intelligent adults who make realistic decisions. It is very black ops and would be perfect for the big screen! Granted, there are some parts that are too wordy and could be removed, hence my 4.5 / 5 heart rating. But I was all in, turning the pages of this thick 500+ page hardcover until the gasping end. Dare I say I didn't want it to end?!

"Like living a life of isolation and fear, hunted every minute of the day?" ~ pg. 183

Bookhearts, give The Chemist a try. It may or may not be your cup of "guhment" tea but I highly recommend it for fast-paced action/suspense book lovers. For my conspiracy theorist bookhearts, this one is for you!

Title: The Chemist
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Published: November 2016
Pages: 518
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

December 14, 2016

Bookish Christmas Gifts



Lookie! Early Christmas bookish gifts I received!

I am so looking forward to reading on this new Kindle Paperwhite with no glare and backlight. This will be perfect for reading on the sunny beach or late night in bed. And these uber cute Dabney Lee book magnets will be awesome markers for the physical books/magazines I read.

'Tis the season, bookhearts!

 

December 13, 2016

Holding Up the Universe


"What if the entire world was face-blind?" ~ pg. 105

Jack has a condition called prosopagnosia; he cannot recognize faces, not even his own. He looks in the mirror and doesn't recognize himself. He wakes up everyday and does not recognize his mom or the faces of people he loves. Everyone is a stranger to Jack. To keep this secret, he plays it cool, charming and hilarious. Most of all, he does not get too close to anyone.

"For something that isn't there anymore, it weighs a ton." ~ pg. 374

Libby is known as "America's Fattest Teen." Literally cut out of her house at over 600 pounds has made her semi-famous. Everyone immediately judges her instead of getting to know who she really is. After losing an impressive amount of weight, Libby is ready for high-school and new friends. But a cruel high-school game lands Libby and Jack in group counseling. Soon both teens feel less alone.

Jennifer Niven is an author that I added to my must-read list after I read the amazing story All the Bright Places. She quickly became a bestselling author. So of course, I was excited to read her new release, Holding Up the Universe.

"I'm not a shitty person, but I'm about to do a shitty thing..." ~ pg. 104

Sounds like a good story, right? Sounds like characters I can empathize with, yup? Not so much. Instead I knew where this story was heading from the beginning and there were no tearjerker or mouth-dropping twists to keep me interested the whole way. I fought the urge to skim. (FYI: my thoughts on skimming are similar to faking an orgasm—why waste energy doing it? Just stop.)

Holding Up the Universe passed my 50-page Rule because I had faith in Jennifer Niven to finish. I was sure this book was a fluke and would get better...but, nope.

Title: Holding Up the Universe
Author: Jennifer Niven
Published: October 2016
Pages: 388
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♡

 

December 4, 2016

Series Sunday: Never

(Lassiter Sisters #1) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.

"Don't let doubt dictate your happiness. You're a Lassiter woman. You come from a long line of strong, proud woman [sic]." ~ 89%

My Series Sunday pick is Never, the first book in the Lassiter Sisters series by Joy Avery. Gadiya Lassiter and her twin brother were inseparable. Until one day, they were not. Nico Dupree, the love of her life, was no longer around either. Fast forward two years and there is a new fire chief in town; Nico Dupree is back to reclaim Gadiya's heart. Too bad she vowed to never fall in love again.

Before I dive into my book review, take a look at the cover above. It is simple yet beautiful. I appreciate when authors/publishers choose a more subtle cover rather than elaborate images that distract from the book itself. Never is also public-friendly for readers who happen to leave the cover page visible on their eBook device. Kudos to Joy Avery and her team!

I can easily enjoy a story with unlikeable characters. Such is the case with Never. The stubborn main character, Gadiya, had me talking to the pages. "What you doing, girl?" But once I accepted the character's annoying flaw, I was able to read on and let the story flow.

"Black, sexy magic, an inner voice taunted." ~ 20%

Thanks to my bestie, Damey, for recommending this novella. She described it as "so adorable" and I agree. It is a very quick read that I finished in between house hopping for the holiday. Joy Avery definitely wet my book plate enough to want more of the Lassiter sisters. My fingers are crossed that books are in the making featuring Gadiya's sisters, Rana and Sadona Lassiter.

If you are looking to read the start of a new series, download Never. It is free with Kindle Unlimited program or buy it for only $2.99 on Amazon.

Title: Never
Author: Joy Avery
Published: November 2016
Pages: 100
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥


December 2, 2016

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.

"This is part of why I want to reiterate and reinforce my previous point, that this author is, frankly, full of shit."

~ Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones