Top Ten of Twenty Fifteen

Hello Twenty-Sixteen!

I am so looking forward to this year and though I'm hoping that some things go exactly as planned (such as finishing grad school), I can't wait to see what surprises are in store.

This year I read a total of sixty-six books and 20, 552 pages. If you remember, I was focusing on quality over quantity, and though I actually ended up reading more books than I did in the past two years, many of my favorite reads from this year were children's books. Though my average rating for books is around 4 stars (hey, I know how to pick 'em!), I'm highlighting these ones in particular because they stood out above the rest. I'm not going to set any resolutions again this year (no resolutions worked out well for me in 2015), so I'm looking forward to picking up whatever strikes my fancy. Although, I would like to make some progress in reading the A Song of Ice and Fire Series, and as always, reading more classic literature is still on my to-do list.

Below you'll find my top ten picks from 2015:

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin // It's Game of Thrones. Need I say more? If you're a fan of the HBO series and are debating reading the books, go for it! I'm still in the middle of the second (taking my time), but I think having seen the show helps me to keep the characters straight in my head.

The Heretic Queen: Heiress of Misfortune, Pharaoh's Beloved by Michelle Moran // All of the heart eyes for the love story between Nefertari and Ramesses II. Review for this on the blog next week!

The Witch's Daughter (The Witch's Daughter #1) by Paula Brackston // I didn't realize that this was the start to a series until I went to prepare this post! I will certainly be reading the second installment (due in 2016), as this was the perfect mix of fantasy and historical fiction. Highly recommended for your October reading list. You can read my review here.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary // I plucked this from my boyfriend's shelves one day when I had nothing to read and couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. I don't normally delve into post-apocalyptic lit but this was worth taking the chance. 

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great (Catherine #1) by Eva Stachniak // The second in this series is on my to-read list for January. Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre (though I love fantasy too) and this was unique in it's setting and captivating. You can read my review here.

The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig // I just finished this earlier this week and had to make room on my list for it because oh my goodness the heartbreak was real. Review to come!

The Martian by Andy Weir // You might recognize this as the hit movie starring Matt Damon. I didn't expect to love this book but it's probably my top recommendation from this year because I think it appeals to all kinds of readers. The humor is what pulled me in but it was incredibly suspenseful as well.

The Glass Sentence (The Mapmaker's Trilogy #1) by S.E. Grove // I actually read and loved the first and second books in this series, which I stumbled across just by chance. It's become one of my all-time favorite fantasy series. Recommended for fans of Harry Potter. 

The Master Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy #3) by Charlie N. Holmberg // I was sad to see the end of this trilogy but I do plan to re-read it at some point. I love the whimsy of it and I find the world that Holmberg created comforting. I wish that I could be friends with Ceony Twill!

The Sisters of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy #1) by Sally Christie // I loved this book. As in, I read in early for a publisher and still pre-ordered my own copy (the copies publishers send me are often not final drafts). I cannot wait for the second installment, due out in April! You can read my review of this book here.

Bonus! Top Three Children's Picks

Since just about half of the books that I read this year were children's novels, I thought I'd share my top three children's literature picks from this year as well!

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo // If you have not yet read this book, do yourself a favor and read it this year. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and uplifting and everything that you'd ever want from a book. I'll be re-reading it at least once this year.

The Mister Max Trilogy by Cynthia Voigt // If you have a middle grade reader in your life, this series would make a great gift! I thought that it was entirely unique from the typical formula for novels of this genre and fell in love with its quirky characters. You can read my review of the trilogy here.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate // Beautiful. Captivating. Incredible. I could go on and on about this book. Tears were shed (bewarned) and it's the one book that my students can't stop talking about this year.

***

Next week on the blog: a review of The Heretic Queen and the books I'm looking forward to reading in 2016!

Want more of my favorites? See my Top Ten of 2013 here and 2014 here.

Currently Coveting {February}

Happy February! I love this month because it means we are one step closer to spring-- though we are expecting a bit of snow here today-- enough to give us our third snow day of the semester! With an expected high of 14 degrees (yikes!), it's unlikely that I'll be venturing outside more than necessary, so curling up with a good book and a cup of tea sounds just about right. My reading choices have been all over the place lately, so when I sat down to seek some new February finds, my search took me all over Goodreads. Here's are just a few of the titles I've picked to add to my library list:

The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki // Did you catch Sons of Liberty on the History Channel last week? I only saw snippets of each episode, but it got me thinking that maybe my failed forays into American history could be solved with a good bit of historical fiction. Enter this book, which is about Benedict Arnold, an infamous traitor to the American Revolution, and his wife, who is actually the mastermind behind his treasonous acts. The story is told from the perspective of the wife's maid, "whose faith in the new nation inspires her to intervene in her mistress's affairs," and looks to be an action-packed read. Definitely for fans of historical fiction, American history, and powerful female characters. Allison Pataki's second book is set to be published mid-month; if The Traitor's Wife is as good as it sounds, then I'll definitely be on the waiting list for her newest release.

A Trip to the Stars by Nicholas Christopher // Sometimes it's hard to tell if a book looks good when its description is only one sentence long, as with this one. "A young boy and his adopted aunt become separated when the youngster is kidnapped by his wealthy, eccentric great-uncle, but mysterious ties continue to link the two unknowingly over the fifteen-year separation." - that's all that Goodreads has to say about this. I was curious, so I turned to reader reviews (one feature of Goodreads that I love), and saw that multiple people had proclaimed this to be the best book they'd ever read. Whoa. So I'm putting my trust in that enthusiasm and putting this book on my to-read list. 

The Invention of Everything Else: A Novel by Samantha Hunt // This book is like a giant mixing pot of genres. When reading the description, I started out thinking that it was a historical fiction novel about Nikola Tesla. To me, that would have qualified as interesting enough to put on my list. Continuing on, I realized it has a rather large science fiction component to it, in the form of time travel. The combination of the two give it an eclectic vibe that I'm looking forward to exploring.

The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace // The Victorian Era is a favorite of mine for historical fiction, not just for books but also in film and on TV. Pair that with my fascination with the history of psychology and the clinical approach to mental illness and you have a story that instantly catches my attention. This is the story of a victorian woman who is admitted to a women's-only asylum by her husband just weeks after their wedding. It's one of those tales in which a seemingly sane person questions her sanity to the point of feeling insane, and brings up the point that in reality, we're all a little off-kilter. It reminds me of this book, which I read in 2013 and loved. 

*****

As I mentioned a few times recently, my book rut has lasted much longer than usual, so I've been skipping around from book to book and feeling like I'm not sure which genre I want to indulge in most. From curating this month's list, I am definitely feeling a pull towards historical fiction reads, and I'm thinking this will be the month to bring me back to that feeling of being fully enthralled in a book. Which we all know is the best feeling ever.

What are you looking forward to reading this month? 

Currently Coveting {September}

I don't want to brag, but I have some really good picks for you guys today. From science fiction that's eerily realistic to a new novel from the master of fractured fairytales himself, September is going to be a good month for new reads. Many of the books that I'm listing here just came out in August, so while they may be hot commodities at your local library, the good news is that you'll probably be able to spot them as soon as you step into your favorite bookstore. Though I'm still catching up on all of the books that I purchased this summer, you can bet I'll be in the holds queue for a few of these books before the month is up.

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
In colonial Malaya (a former British colony that included Singapore), a young Chinese girl is given a proposal: to escape her family's poverty, she is offered the life of a ghost bride for a prominent family's recently deceased heir. In practicing this long-time tradition, the family believes she will placate the restless spirit of her dead husband. This story promises to be full of secrets, and although I've never really been interested in historical Chinese novels, this one looks too good to resist.

Lock In: A Novel by John Scalzi
Fifteen years from today, there's a new virus ravaging the human population. A small percent of its victims are left "locked in," meaning that they are essentially trapped in their own, immovable bodies but are fully conscious. American scientists respond to the call, and with their new medical and scientific advances comes the opportunity to use their discoveries as weapons. I'm not a science fiction fan in general, but I feel like this is going to be one book that transcends the traditional genre boundaries.

The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy
The story of a seemingly random group of characters and the invisible connections that exist between them, Van Booy supposedly brings to life the realization that small, selfless acts can make a difference in a big way. I've read reviews of this book that deem it "sheer poetry," and it seems like the type to give you chills as you read. When readers are so enamored that they can't resist calling the writing beautiful, that's what makes me really want to pick up a book. 

Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire is known for taking a classic fairytale and giving it a twist that sheds a whole new light on the story. You may not know him by name, but he's responsible for the internationally-loved Wicked (which I've heard is the best Broadway musical ever). In this fairytale, meant for readers age 12 and up, Maguire drops the classic tale of the prince and the pauper in Tsarist Russia, and integrates beloved folklore characters such as Baba Yaga. Fairytales are one of my favorite genres, and I'll definitely be looking for this one at the library this fall.

3 Truths About Classic Literature

I felt that it was about time for some transparency on the subject of classic literature. Mark Twain once said that classics are books we praise and don't read, and I'm as guilty as anyone for living up to that truth. I love literature- and being a reader is a huge part of my identity, but I'm not an English major and I'm not an expert. I just love to read, and I love the freedom to choose what I read. 

I do have a habit of sticking to just a few genres, but for my reading resolutions this year I've been branching out and challenging myself to find enjoyable books that are outside of my comfort zone. Part of that challenge was to read four classics. I expected it to be easy, after all, aren't all classics great? I've only finished two so far, but I can say that I'm finding this resolution of mine to be…difficult, to say the least. Here's what I've learned about the classics so far:

They're not all great. // Classic literature is a category made up of all genres, so not all of them are going to be appealing to every reader. I put The Time Machine on my list, even though I know that I'm not a science-fiction reader. And guess what? It didn't appeal to me. I appreciate that it was the beginning of a genre, but I lost interest.

Sometimes, they don't turn out as expected. // After my failure to delve into H.G.Wells, I picked up Jane Eyre, expecting it to quickly become my favorite classic ever. Wrong. I love the books that I've read that are based off of this story, but I didn't love the original. There wasn't enough going on and I really only got wrapped up in a few key moments.

Children's classics count too. // Maybe I'm biased because of my obvious love for all things children's lit, but I would much rather dive into a children's classic than an adult classic. These stories are ones that practically raised older generations (the same way that Harry Potter has raised our generation) but they've lost a lot of their appeal because young readers see them as too challenging. I'd love to see a revival of children reading Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, both of which have now made it onto my to-read list.