By the time you’re reading this, I’m flying to Japan! I’m very excited for this trip, but I know it’s going to be an exhausting one since I’ll only be back in mid October. But don’t worry, my posting won’t be affected because I scheduled a few posts for the next weeks – so have no fear, Neide is here!
The first one is this post: it’s time to share with you what I’ll be reading this month!
My reading time will be limited in October not only because of the trip, but also because it’s my birthday when I get back! So I’m opening an exception for this month. I’m planning on only reading one book. Honestly I’ll just be glad if I just get the opportunity to finish a single book in October.
So here is the book I’m planning on reading this next month:
1. The Bodyguard by Katerine Center
Aaand that’s the jewel of this new month! I’ve decided to read this one for October for three reasons: it has been on my TBR for a few months, it’s romance (comfort genre) and it’s a standalone (no commitment to long series)! So it was an easy pick in the end. I believe this book will help me with the transition of coming back and getting back on track, because it sounds like an easy, fun read. Very excited to pick this up!
Aaaand there you have it friends, my (super long) TBR list for October! As usual, I hope you liked this post! Let me know if you have any recommendations for me. You know I’m always grateful for those!
“Sometimes the only way to save yourself is to save someone else…” – 3.5/5 stars!
Attention! This book contains: mills, ponds, cold labor, dormitories, tuberculosis, theaters, broken teeth, stolen potatoes, weir, escape attempts and cotton.
History and myth entwine in this atmospheric tale of freedom and friendship from bestselling author Lucy Strange, and acclaimed illustrator Pam Smy.
Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel– a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison, with no way out. Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water. But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape?
Oh how I love Pam Smy! I first read “Thornhill” from her and I loved it, so I was excited to pick up this book as soon as I saw her name as the illustrator for this book. I would describe this short book as a darker middle grade story. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a graphic novel, since there’s more text than images. The story is very nice, but on the sadder side. It follows an 11 year old girl named Bess who just started working at a cotton mill, and then her way to freedom along with Dot and the mermaid who is stuck in the pond. Unlike what I was thinking by reading the title, the mermaid is not the focus of the story, but the young girls that are working at the cotton mill, Bess and Dot. This book portrays child labor during the Victorian age, and it was very sad to read about the beatings and exploitation the children went through. And yes, there are some descriptions about abuse but it’s not too graphic, don’t worry. Even though the mermaid is not the focus of the book, I still believe it plays a big role in the story as it also symbolizes the freedom they desired. Also, don’t think of this mermaid as the typical nice mermaid, this one behaved more like a siren – wilder and more animalistic. It’s a beautiful book that presents a story about friendship, freedom, kindness and being vulnerable when you’re hurt. I finished the book rooting for the girls and hoping they made it to the new town and had a better life!
“I love you. Wait for me, where the land meets the sea.” – 4.5/5 stars!
Attention! This book contains: spirits, sleeping curses, traps, young brides, lords, goddesses, Korean mythology and storms.
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.
Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.
But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…
I was hoping I would find a really nice book to lose myself in, and fortunately I found this one! I can honestly say I loved this book with all my heart – spoiler alert, it’s not perfect though! This book follows a girl named Mina, and her village has sacrificed a girl every year for over 100 years by throwing her to the sea, hoping to calm down the sea storms. The chosen girl is picked to be the new bride of the Sea God, and she has to be very beautiful or very talented. But to save her brother and his lover, she sacrifices herself by throwing herself into the sea. After entering a city she never knew existed under the sea, Mina has to help the Sea God wake up from his sleeping curse to save her village and the people she loves. In case you’re wondering, this story is based on Korean mythology. I thought this story was familiar while I was reading it, so when I read somewhere this had Spirited Away vibes, it finally clicked! Spirited Away is probably one of my favorite Ghibli movies of all time, so it makes sense why I loved this story so much. It was soooo close to being a 5 star read, but there was something about this book that felt lacking and I can’t point exactly what it is. After some thought, I think I struggled a little with the setting and world building. Sometimes it was hard to visualize the surroundings and to create the world in my head. I have to say it felt very… dreamy? And I say ‘dreamy’ in a good way, but I still felt like some more details would make this story shine even more. I personally loved all the characters in this. The main characters, the supporting characters, the villains, the lost relatives – everyone! But again, I wish we knew more about them and their backstories. The romance was very slow paced and sometimes I even questioned if it was ever going to happen, but I ended up loving it! I loved their chemistry and how well they fit together. Another thing that felt a little weird was the pacing/flow. Some parts felt a little rushed, so I wish this was a longer book so there was room to explore those parts a little more. I wanted more and it wasn’t enough. I’m really sad because this was so close to being a 5 star read for me. I loved the story and the characters, but the execution was the reason why I couldn’t give this 5 stars. So close though!
“She mistook happiness for what it was – how we build lives out of the strings we hold. But we should have known deep down that she was lying to herself. She had said I knew the secret, what was really important in life, what made a person happy. If that was true, it didn’t make sense when she went back home and left all that ‘happiness’ behind.” – 4.5/5 stars!
Attention! This book contains: cigar factories, immigrants, detention centers, motherhood, different generations and family bonds.
In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt.
From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia’s Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals—personal and political, self-inflicted and those done by others—that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women. A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers, the legacy of the memories they carry, and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them, this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America’s most tangled, honest, human roots.
Wow, this was a very powerful debut novel – which makes it even more impressive!
This story follows multiple generations of women from the same family from 1866 to 2019, in Miami, Cuba and Mexico. The author discusses immigration and deportation, but also motherhood and family relationships – also, I think it’s important to tell you that there’s also mention of substance abuse, sexual abuse, violence and suicide.
The writing is great. There’s multiple timelines in this book, so you’ll be going back and forward frequently. Personally for me this wasn’t an issue, but I can see how other readers may be confused at times. The timelines didn’t confuse me, but keeping up with all the women confused me a lot. I admit it was a little hard to keep up with all of them and not mix them up. Fortunately for me, the author added a family tree in the beginning of the book, so I had to keep coming back to it so I could distinguish them.
I liked all the characters, but I connected to some better than with others. Still, I felt bad for all of them and how they went through their own traumatic experiences (addiction, deportation, political,…).
I also like how atmospheric the book felt. Nineteenth century Cuba never seemed so close in time! My favorite chapters were the ones in the cigar factory, probably for that reason. It was interesting to see how the way women were treated, how they listen to “safe” books while working, and how the men didn’t want the women there.
This is a beautiful book and I definitely recommend it. At this point I feel like I want to reread this book somewhere in the future. I’m very excited to read more from this author.
It has been a while since I’ve discovered a good new dystopian series to binge on – and that makes me sad because dystopian used to be my comfort genre for a very long time! There was a time a few years ago when dystopian books were very popular, but I feel like this genre is not as popular as it was. Of course there are some new series that came out recently, but there was something about the “older” dystopian books that made them special and unique.
So today I’m bringing you a recommendation post on some of my favorite dystopian series that influenced my love for fiction. This reading era was very important for me because it taught me a very interesting and unexpected lesson: reading could be very fun! It’s not like I haven’t picked random books before, but the feeling of pure joy and curiosity that I got from reading, not wanting to put down a book and being transported to a new world was news to me!
Needless to say, I devoured these series (and even reread some of them later). So today I want to talk about them and show you what I was reading a few years ago, and maybe you’ll give a chance to the ones you haven’t read yet!
Just a quick disclaimer: I said they’re old, but they are not ancient. The books I’m about to mention were published between 2008 and 2012 – the dystopian golden era to me!
I’m very excited to share some of these beauties with you, and I truly hope you give them a try and decide to pick them up in the future!
Here are the books I want to share with you today! Let’s look at them individually:
1. The Selection series by Kiera Cass
Starting off my favorite, The Selection series by Kiera Cass! There’s no surprise this dystopian series is here since I’ve talked about it a lot. This series has a great story and plot, but I have to say this is in essence a romance book. And by this I mean this is not a dystopian series like The Maze Runner or The Hunger Games because the center of the story is the love story. So of course, a romance junkie like myself was completely hooked to this story. It’s pure perfection, and I would sell my soul to read this again for the first time!
Synopsis
“For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.”
2. The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
Another dystopian series I loved was The Maze Runner! I’m sure this one needs no introduction since it’s a fairly popular series, so at least I’m sure you’ve watched one of the movies or at least heard about this. I personally really liked the concept behind this story and how the boys fought and stuck together to survive. It’s a very entertaining story that keeps you hooked for the characters and the mystery. You don’t know what’s going on and why they are in the maze, and since the characters don’t remember anything you are all on the same boat. Throughout the series we start to unravel what is going on, but it takes a while – or 6 books to be exact (trilogy, prequels and a sequel)! If you watched the movie and think you’re good with this story: I would still say to consider reading the books. The first book is similar to the first movie, but from that point forward the story was changed a lot to fit the movie format. The second and third movies look completely different from the books. Also, there are a few prequels that explain somethings that are not even mentioned in the movies. It was one of my favorite dystopian series, and I even reread them!
Synopsis
“If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human. When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone. Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade. Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive. Everything is going to change. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. Remember. Survive. Run.”
3. Delirium series by Lauren Oliver
Another great dystopian series I read was the Delirium trilogy! It was not a perfect read by any means, but I had a really fun time reading this! The reason for this series not being perfect for me was because of the slower pace and not being a slow burn romance (which are my favorites!). Still, the concept is very interesting and the story was entertaining to the point I had a hard time putting it down. I would still say this is still a really nice series to binge on!
Synopsis
“In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn’t about to make the same mistake. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the “Wilds” who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?”
4. Matched series by Ally Condy
I’ve picked the Match series also during this time! Again, this wasn’t a perfect book for me as well, but I also enjoyed this and flew through the pages. It’s also on the slower pace side like Delirium, but the story is unique and worth trying!
Synopsis
“Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate… until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.”
5. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
And last but not least we have The Hunger Games series! At first I was afraid to dive into this trilogy in book form because the movie love triangle made me crazy! “Movie Peeta” annoyed me so much that I had no interest in watching the last two movies, and therefore, I didn’t want to read the books as well. But after giving it a try, I ended up loving this series – including liking “book Peeta” more than “movie Peeta”. The book was incredible, original and inspiring, and definitely became one of my favorites!
Synopsis
“Could you survive on your own in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.”
And there you have it friends! These were some of the dystopian series that got me into reading. It was very nostalgic coming back to them and today I feel very grateful I found these books at the right time, because this dystopian era was epic!
As always, I hope you found this recommendation post interesting and I hope you found yourself some new books to read. I’m always looking for book recommendations so let me know if you have any for me!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope you liked what I had to share with you today. I’ll see you in the next one! 🙂
“Elena, careers and hobbies and dreams can be discovered whenever. What makes you interesting isn’t any one thing. You’re so many small beautiful things put together.” – 4.5/5 stars!
Attention! This book contains: promenades, high school, idols, community centers, relentless paparazzi, online haters, screaming fans and corsages.
What would you do if the world’s biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.
Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing – she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that’s always made her feel like she belonged.
So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven years ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.
Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants – even if she can’t stop thinking about Robbie’s smile…right?
Awn this was such a fun book! This story follows a teenager named Elana and her childhood best friend, Robbie. They were friends when they were little, but then lost contact when Robbie moved to Korea to start the idol training. At that time, they promised each other they would go to prom together. Still, Elena was shocked when Robbie was at her door looking completely different: looking like a true K-Pop idol! And with that new persona, Elena doesn’t recognize the only person who accepted her as she was.
It was a very fun book to read, and will hold a special place in my heart since I’ve become a K-Pop lover over the last few years. I’m slowly digging deeper on K-Pop/K-Drama themed books, and I’m having the time of my life.
The characters were sweet. I liked Elena, but her resistance to Robbie was a little annoying at times. I understand how she was always overshadowed by others and is not used to the spotlight – so when Robbie appeared and constantly put her on the spot she was uncomfortable.
The romance was slowburn, but it was also incredibly sweet. The writing was nice and pleasant. It was easy to read and swoony, but there was still some depth to it as well so it wasn’t a fully superficial read.
It was a cute and fluffy romance, exactly what I was needing! Definitely recommend this one if you like K-Pop/K-Drama books or if you just like a childhood best friend trope.
“As of now And for always, You’ll both be Each other’s base Life is better With a best friend, For home is a person And not just a place.” – 3.5/5 stars!
Attention! This book contains: new siblings, love cute poems and beautiful illustrations.
“A book so tender and sweet . . . readers will feel the love as they read the beautiful rhyming prose.” — San Francisco Book Review “Lyrical . . . gorgeous . . . It introduced an element of enchantment I didn’t realize I’d forgotten.” — Robin Goodfellow, BookSirens
How much love can a heart hold? As parents, can we provide the same unconditional love to a new family member? Siblings might wonder, Is there enough love to go around? With compassionate words and sweet illustrations, this book addresses the uncertainty children may feel when confronted with a new brother or sister and changing family dynamics. It provides reassurance that they will always be cherished and helps cultivate their joy in welcoming a new best friend.
“My love for you can never be less, for the heart expands like a flourishing tree; no matter how big our family gets, you’ll always be loved as deeply by me.”
This short book was so cute and sweet! This is a wholesome children’s book that talks about love and welcoming new siblings through lyrical poetry – and is paired with beautiful illustrations! I was so happy when I saw the illustrations thinking it was original work – but then I read in the beginning of the book that they’re from Canva. I wish this had original art because it would make this book more special, but with that said: I still think the book is put together very nicely! And I know this is a children’s book, but reading this as a grown woman made me think a lot about my older sister and how much I love her. I believe she was one of those kids that struggled a little with having a new younger sibling, but her love for me was quick to come since the day she first saw me and we’ve had a close bond since then. She’s a blessing in my life and I can’t imagine my life without her!
This would be the perfect gift for an older sibling (child) that is preparing to welcome a new sibling in the family. Still, I would probably recommend this book to older children (probably above 6 /7) since this has a lot of big words most children wouldn’t understand.
A big thank you to BookSirens for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“And what’s more beautiful and precious than gold? Love, my son. The only treasure that cannot be buried in a pot.” – 2.5/5 stars!
Attention! This book contains: rainbows, leprechauns, the plague, wars, cloud girls and famous scientists.
As the plague rages through England, Hayden Springworth is busy trying to find hidden treasure at the end of a rainbow. But an encounter with Isaac Newton will shatter the young lord’s antiquated beliefs. Sent to the southwest of France as a spy, Hayden continues his research on rainbows in secret. That is until he meets a strange young girl who seemingly has the power to bring rain with her wherever she goes…
I’ve gotten a copy of this short graphic novel through NetGalley and Europe Comics. I would describe this story as a fantasy book, but more on the magical realism side. In essence, it’s a story about science and curiosity. The main character Hayden is a curious boy living in England (during the plague and war), who tries to understand the phenomenon behind rainbows. I feel like there’s a lot going on in this book, and if the story was simplified a little it would benefit the book as a whole. The story was inconsistent and fragmented into bits that didn’t connect well in my opinion. Also, I just couldn’t connect or care too much about the story and characters. Just as a side note, I thought it was fun that Isaac Newton was a character here! Unexpected, but a fun addiction. For me, the artwork was the star here! This book was beautifully illustrated and colored. I loved how each chapter had a monochromatic color palette and a different color title – this was definitely my favorite part of this book. It was very unique and detailed. In conclusion: the artwork is worth it, but the story was a little too all over the place for my own taste.
A big thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I hope you’re doing well! Today I’m bringing you my Wrap Up for the month of August.
As you’ll see in a second, I wasn’t loving my TBR again this month, so I guess I took a spontaneous trip to my comfort genres: graphic novels and romance!
I’ll say the same thing I said in the past month: I know I prepared my TBR right before the month started, but when the time came to start reading… I just wasn’t feeling the books I picked. So the month didn’t go exactly as I wanted, but I still managed to read a few books that made me happy!
What really matters to me is not the amount of books I read or if I complete the TBR for the month – it’s simply to maintain the connection I have with books. Keeping the habit of reading books frequently is something I really want, so in the end that is all that matters.
Anyways, I digress! Let’s move on and take a look at the books I read this past month:
Alice in Borderland, Vol. 1by Haro Aso: 4.5/5⭐
Alice in Borderland, Vol. 2 by Haro Aso: 4.5/5⭐
Twisted Love (Twisted #1) by Ana Huang: 4.25/5⭐
Twisted Games (Twisted #2) by Ana Huang: 3.75/5⭐
The Rainbow Catcher by Cédric Mayen: 2.75/5⭐
I think this is a first here on the blog: I read the first two books of two series… in the same month! I don’t think I ever did that? Anyways, I was still able to read 5 books this month, which was pretty good considering none of them was on my TBR list.
One of the series I’ve picked up this month was the amazing Alice in Borderland manga series! I genuinely can’t express with words how much I’m loving this! I first watched the tv show and I loved it, so I decided to pick up the manga and I’m having a great time reading this. It’s a little aggressive and wicked so I don’t think it’s for everyone, but for me it’s a great series.
Another series I’ve started was the “Twisted” series by Ana Huang. I bought these books during the Lisbon Book Fair a few months ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about them – so one day I just started them and now I can’t stop. I’m a sucker for romance, and I was feeling like reading for comfort this month so that’s exactly what I decided to do. So far I’m loving it and I understand the hype around those books!
The last book of the bunch is an ARC I’ve received through NetGalley called “The Rainbow Catcher”. This is also a graphic novel, but a standalone. I personally didn’t love this because of the story, but the artwork was beautiful. It was an easy read, but the story didn’t do much for me.
As usual, I’ll be posting the reviews for these books soon!
What about you guys? How was your reading month? Let me know in the comments! Thank you for reading friends, I’ll catch you guys later!
Sprayed Edges 