Tag: Spotlight Sunday

Spotlight Sunday – December 18th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

This was probably one of my favorite books of 2016. It was dark, full of action and features one of the most independent and badass heroines. I love it. It’s the perfect read if you’re looking for a straight revenge story. And that cover is freaking awesome, too. You can read my full review HERE.

Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

Have you read Vengeance Road? What did you think of it? What book would you recommend for Spotlight Sunday? Leave a link to your post in the comments below!

Spotlight Sunday – December 11th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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Asleep by Krystal Wade

I love reading indie books that you don’t get to see all over bookstagram. There are so many hidden gems out there, and I wish they could all get the appreciation that they deserve. Asleep is one of those books. It’s a horror retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale that is set in an insane asylum. Already sounding amazing isn’t it?! Pick it up, because you won’t be disappointed! You can read my full review of this book HERE.

“To cure fear, you must use fear.”

Rose Briar claims no responsibility for the act that led to her imprisonment in an asylum. She wants to escape, until terrifying nightmares make her question her sanity and reach out to her doctor. He’s understanding and caring in ways her parents never have been, but as her walls tumble down and Rose admits fault, a fellow patient warns her to stop the medications. Phillip believes the doctor is evil and they’ll never make it out of the facility alive. Trusting him might be just the thing to save her. Or it might prove the asylum is exactly where she needs to be.

Have you read Asleep? What did you think of it? Do you like to indie books? What’s a book that you would recommend? Leave a link to your Spotlight Sunday post in the comments below!

Spotlight Sunday – December 4th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell by Liane Shaw

I loved this book. This was the first book that I’ve read that was told from the viewpoint of someone with Asperger’s, and I fell in love with Frederick’s voice. It’s a beautiful, if sometimes heartbreaking story, that will leave you laughing and crying. I didn’t enjoy the second half as much though, as it is told from Angel’s POV and while she was a really interesting character as well, she just wasn’t as compelling to me as Frederick. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a diverse indie read. You won’t be disappointed! You can read my full review HERE.

Sixteen-year-old Frederick has a lot of rules for himself. Like if someone calls him Freddy he doesn’t have to respond; he only wears shirts with buttons and he hates getting dirty. His odd behavior makes him an easy target for the “Despisers” at school, but he’s gotten used to eating lunch alone in the Reject Room.

Angel, in tenth grade but already at her sixth school, has always had a hard time making friends because her family moves around so much. Frederick is different from the other kids she’s met – he’s annoyingly smart, but refreshingly honest – and since he’s never had a real friend before, she decides to teach him all her rules of friendship.

But after Angel makes a rash decision and disappears, Frederick is called in for questioning by the police and is torn between telling the truth and keeping his friend’s secret. Her warning to him – don’t tell, don’t tell, don’t tell – might have done more harm than good.

Have you ever read Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell? What did you think of it? What is a book that you would like to tell more people about? Leave a link to your Spotlight Sunday post in the comments below!

Spotlight Sunday – November 27th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

I was able to snag an ARC of this book from NetGalley right before it came out, and I am so glad that I requested it. This book is supposedly listed as Middle Grade but I definitely don’t agree with that. The story is a little too dark and mature for younger kids and I think a lot of the plot might go over their heads a bit. But for adults and teens, this book is perfect! If you like dark, gothic mysteries – this book is for you! You can read my full review of it HERE.

To earn a secret so profound, I would need to tell momentous lies, and make as many people as possible believe them…

Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is modest and well mannered—a proper young lady who knows her place. But inside, Faith is burning with questions and curiosity. She keeps sharp watch of her surroundings and, therefore, knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing—like the real reason her family fled Kent to the close-knit island of Vane. And that her father’s death was no accident.

In pursuit of revenge and justice for the father she idolizes, Faith hunts through his possessions, where she discovers a strange tree. A tree that only bears fruit when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit, in turn, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father’s murder. Or, it might lure the murderer directly to Faith herself, for lies—like fires, wild and crackling—quickly take on a life of their own.

Have you read The Lie Tree? What did you think of it? What’s a good book that you’ve read lately that deserves a Spotlight Sunday post? Leave a link to your post in the comments below!

Spotlight Sunday – November 20th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1) by Deborah Harkness

I’ll admit that this book might first remind you of an adult version of Twilight, but I swear that it is so much more than that! The entire trilogy has a very interesting premise and is a unique take on the vampires and witches story. Harkness weaves reality and fantasy seamlessly, while also giving you some biology and history lessons as well. If you’ve considered branching out of YA and into general fiction, I think this trilogy is a good place to start. And just between you and me, the second book is even better!

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

Have you read A Discovery of Witches? What were your thoughts on it? What book would you recommend for Spotlight Sunday? Leave a link to your post in the comments below!

Spotlight Sunday – November 13th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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Enclave (Razorland, #1) by Ann Aguire

Do you like zombies? Do you like kick ass independent heroines who are tough as nails? Do you like dystopian novels? If you said yes to any of the three questions, then chances are that you will enjoy this action packed trilogy! All three books are quick reads, full of non-stop action, and have no qualms with killing off characters. Yep, totally brutal and awesome.

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20’s. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters–or Freaks–who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight–guided by Fade’s long-ago memories–in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre’s thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world–facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.

Have you read the Razorland Trilogy? What did you think of it? What’s a book or series that you think if underrated and more people should know about? Leave a link to your Spotlight Sunday post in the comments!

Spotlight Sunday – November 6th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

If you’re like me, then you are pretty big fan of the classics. Austen, Tolstoy, Dumas, etc. are some of your favorites and you can never tire of rereading some of them. However, I feel that some of the books from this period tend to get lost in the crowd, especially from the lesser known writers. So if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge of the classics – I highly recommend you pick up Vanity Fair next. And when you’re finished reading the book, watch the film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon as Becky Sharp. It really is a fantastic movie!

Warning: This book isn’t one of Austen’s happy ending fairytales, this one is a bit more realistic and dark.

“I think I could be a good woman, if I had five thousand a year,” observes beautiful and clever Becky Sharp, one of the wickedest—and most appealing—women in all of literature. Becky is just one of the many fascinating figures that populate William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel Vanity Fair, a wonderfully satirical panorama of upper-middle-class life and manners in London at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Scorned for her lack of money and breeding, Becky must use all her wit, charm and considerable sex appeal to escape her drab destiny as a governess. From London’s ballrooms to the battlefields of Waterloo, the bewitching Becky works her wiles on a gallery of memorable characters, including her lecherous employer, Sir Pitt, his rich sister, Miss Crawley, and Pitt’s dashing son, Rawdon, the first of Becky’s misguided sexual entanglements.

Filled with hilarious dialogue and superb characterizations, Vanity Fair is a richly entertaining comedy that asks the reader, “Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”

What book do you think is underrated and deserves the spotlight? Have you read Vanity Fair before? Leave a link to your own Spotlight Sunday post in the comments!

Spotlight Sunday – October 30th, 2016

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme created by Balie @ Nerd in New York & Closet Readers for their Goodreads book club, Nerdy Reads. Each Sunday share a book that you think is underrated and needs to be read ASAP – put it in the spotlight! *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

Rules:

  1. Make sure to link back to the original creators in your post.
  2. Share your post on the Goodreads page so that others can read your post.

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Dove by M.H. Salter

Japhy would sacrifice his freedom for people he will never meet. Ray would sacrifice all those unknown people just to protect him.

In 1970, when Japhy receives his draft notice for the Vietnam War, he and girlfriend, Ray, become Dharma Bums. They pack their lives into a duffel bag, and hitch their way to the Canadian border – a safety zone that, once a draft dodger enters, he can never leave. Ever. Not to see family. Not to help injured friends. Not even to attend a loved-one’s funeral.

On the road, Japhy and Ray are joined by flower children, Leaf and Lauren, and all four decide to find a hippie commune in Toronto where they will be free of their demons, and safe with their secrets. Or will they?

Amidst a colorful whirl of psychedelics, love-ins, original music, and political protests, Japhy and his friends discover everything has a price, freedom is not free, and true peace comes at a cost whether you are fighting for it in a war or simply within the depths of your own soul.

How far would you go for freedom?

Dove is the first book in The Freedom Series and was shortlisted for the Impress Prize For New Writers.

So I was able to snag an ARC of this book through Netgalley and Daytime Moon Publishing back at the start of the year, and boy, I am so glad I did. The premise really intrigued me as I haven’t read many books (or any actually) set during the Vietnam War. Which is weird actually because I love the late 60’s-70’s era. There’s a reason why Dazed and Confused is one of my all-time favorite movies, but I digress! Anyways, this book was definitely an adventure into experiencing the real hippie culture of that time. Japhy and Ray’s story will make you laugh, cry, cringe, and probably make you think, YIKES, at least once or twice (it did for me at least). I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning a bit more about that time period, especially the counter-culture that its known for. Seriously, go fall in love with this book like I did! You can read my full review of it HERE.

This book is an adult general fiction novel. There is sex, drug use, violence, and language aplenty throughout, so please do be aware of this if you are considering picking this book up. Just leaving this disclaimer for y’all so you aren’t surprised that it’s not a young adult book after buying it, and then blaming me for it haha!

Have you read this book? Are there any books that you would recommend that are based during the Vietnam War?  What book would you choose for Spotlight Sunday? Leave a link to your post in the comments!