Why I love history & historical fiction // ft. some recommendations

*cue Victorian British accent*

Good day dear bookish friends! Welcome back to my little corner. I hope you have some tea, because it would be a bore to read this without some! Add a little cookies too; don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!

Today, I shall be speaking with you all regarding my love for historical fiction, a wonderful genre full of interesting stories, quaint times, and dazzling characters. I will also be enlightening you, as well as myself, on the problems of the past and why loving this genre may not necessarily be for you.

And of course, to wrap it all up, I shall share some lovely reads from these bygone eras that I think would warm your little hearts.

Let us begin, shall we?

Continue reading “Why I love history & historical fiction // ft. some recommendations”

Spicy Pumpkin Latte Book Tag | Bookending Autumn 2019

Hello, and how are you? I hope your week has been great so far! Today, I’ll be sharing with you my last #BEAutumn2019 post. You can learn more about BE Autumn, see the rules and the rest of October’s topics, and sign up over on Sam’s page @ Sam Fictionally.

You can also follow them @bookend_events for more updates!!

Today, I’m going to be doing the Spicy Pumpkin Latte Tag hosted by the amazing Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads.

Spicy Pumpkin Latte Book Tag: Autumn is when the beverage names at the local coffee shop start to look more like a harvest produce list than anything from a drinks menu. What better way to celebrate this oddity than to do an autumnal drinks book tag?!

I’ve never had a latte, or coffee for that matter, or any of the drinks listed below. I’m more of a black tea, juice, soda, or water kind of girl. But this still sounds super fun, so let’s get started!!

Pumpkin Spice Latte: A book you didn’t think you’d love

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

I really did not expect to love this as much as I did. When I read it, I wasn’t really a big fan of fantasy, however I loved it. The humor, the plot, the fantasy/paranormal aspects, it was all so awesome.

I loved, G, Jane, Edward (especially Edward), and all the other various characters. They were all hilarious and I love how the authors based it on history, and then changed it in such an amazing way! Humor + historical fiction (based on history) + fantasy = awesomeness!!!


Hot Apple Cider: A book that got you a bit hot under the collar

A Spy in the House (The Agency Series) by Y. S. Lee

This isn’t really much? But it does get a little bit more…passionate in the later books 🙂

Anyways, this still has an awesome plot, and it’s set in the Victorian Era. It’s a great series. and I love Mary and her fierceness. She’s also a new and interesting character who is different and considered inferior in her time. She’s a pretty great detective and is really determined and brave.

The mysteries are pretty great, and I finished the whole series pretty quickly. Oh, and James is an absolute darling 💖 Absolutely, annoyingly, handsomely, a bit over protective, but also super kind, and definitely a perfect darling.


Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate: A book that felt like a warm hug

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

I really loved this book for its representation, the great characters, the food, and the writing style. It was super heartwarming to read about Emoni’s struggles, how she overcame them, her family (Buela and Babygirl are the sweetest), and her awesome friends, especially Angelica.

I also really loved the way the book was written-it felt like I was in Emoni’s head and reading her words, not just being told a story in a more formal way. And let’s not forget the amazing food in this book. There are no words to describe the deliciousness of it all. It made me want to fly into the kitchen and whip up a mess lol.


Maple Pecan Latte: A book you enjoyed that was hard to get into

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

It took me 19 days to finally get past the first 10%. It was slow. Like, really slow. The murder mystery is interesting, Kya’s life is interesting, the back story is interesting but wow, it is so so slow, and it was until around the last third-ish of the book that the pace began to pick up.

However, I still gave it 4 stars because this is supposed to be a slow read, that is heavy on the description of the Marsh, and of Kya’s life before the murder. The murder mystery was a pretty small aspect of the book compared to the rest of it. But I still enjoyed it. I pushed myself to finish it (and I did skim some of the description), and I’m pretty glad that I did, because I eventually liked Kya and all her friends, and it saved me from DNFing. The only reason that I picked it up, was because of the mystery and the odd characters, so it was disappointing to see that it wasn’t a major part of the story, but I ended up liking the characters and the coming-of-age aspect much more instead.


London Fog: A vanilla character

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This was such a disappointing book. Absolutely disappointing. I hated Claire. I hated Nix. The idea of the story was okay, but the execution was horrible. This was more like a horrible Disney princess movie with a dark boy who falls in love with a girl who has never been noticed. And this girl is the most annoying character ever.

As soon as Claire meets Nix, she falls in love with him because he’s the only one who has noticed her. Hello? He noticed you because he was supposed to kill you. But obviously that’s just a technicality that doesn’t matter. And then after that, all Claire can think about is her darling Nix, and her new super powers… It’s just a horrible book, and Claire is annoying and intolerable.


Hot Buttered Rum: A book that was velvety smooth to read

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

I don’t think this is really velvety smooth? But it’s an easy espionage story and I liked it. Nothing super amazing, but good enough that I’ve continued on with the series.

The ending does get intense, and the court drama and intrigue is very interesting, but I also feel like it was just meh, nothing super remarkable, but pretty nice to read. I don’t really like Peggy, I wish Olivia had a bigger role from the first book (she’d make a great spy), and the drama with Sophy Howe is maybe a bit much, but it’s also kind of hilarious to read.


Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew: A character whose temperament is icy cold

The Great Lady Sarnai from Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

She’s cruel. Unbelievably so. It’s kind of interesting, while terrifying to read about at the same time. She has no sympathy or feelings for anyone (besides the guy she loved and whom she now can’t marry) and she terrorizes everyone wherever she goes.

But she’s also sad, lonely, being used as a peace pawn, and her way of life being discarded so that she can become a woman she doesn’t want to be. So it’s also kind of understandable. But then, her heart is obviously made of ice, because there was a certain point in the book where I though she might change, but instead she was absolutely brutal.


Salted Caramel Mocha: A book that you’re salty about

Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

This book was a mess. An utter mess. Audrey Rose completely went off the rails in this one. She stopped trusting our dearest Cresswell, and trusted a self-confessed liar and con man. Think about that for a minute. Cresswell who has been with her through hell and back, Cresswell who’s never attempted to cage her, and has always respected and admired her, Cresswell who would probably walk across a volcano barefoot to save her life, was deemed not trustworthy enough to keep/properly react to the secret Audrey Rose was trying to keep with a LIAR.

This makes no sense, and honestly, if you want to read the full rant head right over here, because the above is only part of the tragedy that is this book. It’s definitely the most disappointing book from the series so far.


Honey Bee Latte: A character who is sweet

Jude from The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

To be honest, JLB always manages to write amazing characters, the serious ones, the destructive/rule breaker ones, and the sweet-bring-a-smile-to-your-face kind of ones.

Jude is the latter. He is eternally optimistic and he always finds the good or bright side of things. I also love him because he was there for Kira, always supported her, and diffused situations spectacularly. He’s just a super sweet warm bun who cares more about others and about their feelings than for his own. And he forgives so easily and never holds a grudge against anyone.


Gingerbread Latte: A character you’d take home for Christmas

I have no idea? I don’t celebrate Christmas, and honestly, I’m not sure if I want to bring any character home for any celebration because it would probably end up in a disaster. An absolute disaster. It’s either they are super fun but destructive, or they are the kind to just sit there glowering and being absolutely unreasonable (and possibly the ones who someone might decide to pick a fight with, and then I have to make sure they don’t end up dead). Neither is a very good option for a party…

Tagging

Caitlin @ Caitlin Althea | Kat @ Novels and Waffles | Evelyn @ Evelyn Reads | Jane @ Blogger Books | Charlotte @ Bewitching Books, Ravenous Reads

*P.S. No pressure if you don’t want to do the tag!!

This was so much fun to do, and if you’d like to do the tag, go right ahead! Be sure to link back so I can see your answers as well!! See you guys tomorrow!

Tag Thursday – 2019 Mid Year Freak-Out Tag

Good morning (/afternoon/evening/night depending on where you are) my dear friends!! I hope your week was spectacular! Today, I’m going to do the 2019 Mid Year Book Freak Out tag. I know, it’s halfway through July, and the middle of the year was June, but late is better than never right? This is my first year doing it, and hopefully I’ll continue doing it for many years to come! I think there are different versions of this with different questions (I think??) so this version is one I saw on Paws and Paperbacks!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2019

There are so many amazing books that I’ve read so far this year, but Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo definitely tops them all!


Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2019

The Wicked King by Holly Black. I really didn’t like The Cruel Prince, but this sequel made me really like the characters and also managed to make me super excited for The Queen of Nothing!


New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. This sounds so cute and also seems to be what my life will possibly be like in the future (minus the cat!!), so I definitely want to read this!! It’s also a book about a girl who loves books so…


Most Anticipated Releases For the Second Half of the Year

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black and Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff


Biggest Disappointment

I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I was excited to read one of her older books, but Nobody was such a huge disappointment. It was so cliche, and so boring, and the MC annoyed me so much.


Biggest Surprise

I really didn’t expect much from My Lady Jane because it was a historical fantasy with a bit of romance. To my surprise, it turned out to be amazingly hilarious, super entertaining, and refreshing. And the cover is beautiful as well!


Favorite New Author

Lisa Gardner. I loved her D.D. and Flora Dane novel, Look For Me, and I’m definitely going to check out the rest of her mysteries!!


Favorite New Crush

KAZ BREKKER!!! 100% no doubt about it. Actually, the whole crew from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardguo is my new favorite crush!


Favorite New Characters

Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and Wylan from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardguo, Nasir and Altair from We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, Nate from Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, Nate from One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, Shirin from A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi, Aza from Turtles All The Way Down by John Green…and I think I’m going to stop here.


Books That Made you Cry

No book has made me cry yet…I don’t really get emotional like that when I’m reading.


A Book That Made You Happy

The Restaurant Critic’s Wife by Elizabeth LaBan was different from my usual read, and the struggles of Lila as a stay-at-home mom of two who is married to a food critic made me laugh a lot and definitely made me feel happy.


Most Beautiful Books You’ve Bought So Far This Year

Lol, I haven’t bought any books this year? But I think that the cover of Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore is gorgeous!


What Books Do You Need to Read Before the End of the Year?

Including my most anticipated releases: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman, Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle, and The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall

Tagging/Nominating:

So it looks like no one gets tagged for this? People just do it, so I’m not going to tag anyone! If you’d like to do it, go right ahead!

P.S. No pressure. If you don’t want to do the tag. That’s absolutely fine. If you’ve already done it, please share the link so I can check it out!

And that’s it for today! Have you done the 2019 Mid Year Book Freak Out tag? Have you read any of the books above? What did you think? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Tag Thursday – The 80’s Movie Tag

Well hello fellow bookworms and welcome to Tag Thursday where I scour the internet and all things bookish to find interesting ‘quizzes’ to answer so that you get to know more about me and my blog. I was tagged by the lovely Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads and Bakes to do The 80’s Movie Tag. This tag was originally created by Ashley @ The Infinite Library. I haven’t watched any of the movies mentioned, but I’m still super excited.

Let’s get started.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

A book that kept you up all night:

Honestly, I don’t think a book has kept me up ALL night, (because there is this thing called school in the morning 😉) but a book that has kept me up pretty late is Storm by D.J. MacHale. It’s the second book in The SYLO Chronicles and I just couldn’t wait until the next day to find out what happened after that cliff-hanger ending.

The Princess Bride

A wonderfully quotable book:

I’m not sure about a book that is super quotable/inspirational per se, but if I had to pick one, I guess it would be The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Asher is such a comical character and I love everything he says! And Tess’ dry humor and sarcasm is ah-mah-zing!

Favorite quote (sorry, quotes) from The Fixer:

“I have a passing fondness for explosions.”

“Some people just need to be flying tackled.” 

“There are a lot of ways to castrate a bull,” I said, my words deliberate and slow. “You can band the balls off, so they shrivel up and die. Or you can take a knife, and slide it just so.” I demonstrated with my free hand. “I grew up on a ranch. I know a lot about castrating bulls.”

Over the next hour and a half, I came to the conclusion that Emilia Rhodes was either the devil incarnate or the second coming of Coco Chanel.

Asher waved away my words, unconcerned. “If Emilia was predisposed to fratricide, I wouldn’t have made it past kindergarten,” he said. “I am, however, somewhat concerned that she might kill you.”

I think that’s enough…

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

A character who loves breaking the rules:

Sawyer from Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This girl lives to break the rules. She is just like Tess, and doesn’t do what she doesn’t want to do (except when she agrees to live with Lillian and receive tuition for college but she’s still a rebel)

When Harry Met Sally

A book couple that took an eternity to get together:

Mary and James from The Agency Series by Y. S. Lee. These two took four books to get together but I’m glad. I’d rather have Mary find who she is and establish herself before committing herself to anything that she might later regret.

Back to the Future

A book involving time travel:

SYLO by D.J. MacHale involves time-travel. Even though I don’t want to repeat a series more than once, I’m going to have to because I’m not a huge Sci-fi fan and this is the only book I could think of.

Pretty in Pink

A character with a unique style:

Judy Carrier from Betrayed by Lisa Scottoline. She’s a lawyer, but you’d never know by looking at her. She’s quirky, fun, and a character with one unique sense of style.

The Karate Kid

Favorite book involving training/mentoring trope:

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. It’s about a school for spies in England and there is a lot of mentoring throughout the series.

Die Hard

A book with a trip that doesn’t go to plan:

Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy by Wendelin Van Draanen. Sorry Sammy, but solving a murder and stopping a murderer from murdering your elusive mother was not what you had in mind when you went to confront her right?

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

A book with the central characters name in the title

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows. As you can guess, this book is about Lady Jane.

Dirty Dancing

A female character who comes out of her shell

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan. I didn’t like this book, but at the end of the story, Digit finally comes to accept herself for who she is.

Top Gun

A death that took you by surprise

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. I had an inkling that there would be a death in here, but I was still so angry and hurt anyway. You can read my review (on Goodreads) for spoilers!

ET

An ending that left you both happy and sad

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee. It was sad because Mary and James’ banter had finally come to an end but happy because Mary had established herself and become an amazing young lady by the end of the series.

Tagging:

Kay | Christina | Ashley | Jess | Crystal | Kerys | Kat

*Note: If you’ve already done this tag, I’m sorry that I tagged you again. But let me know in the comments so I can check it out. If you haven’t been tagged but want to do it, go right ahead, and please be sure to link back to this post!

Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Characters in Books

Hi friends and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme originally created by The Broke and The Bookish, and is now hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today’s topic is: Favorite Couples in Books

However, I’m gonna be a rebel this week. Instead of the topic that was chosen, I’m going to do Favorite Characters in Books.

Let’s get started!

*Tess. I’ve already elaborated on my love for Tess Kendrick. Her sassy behavior, confidence, and take-charge personality is so amazing. Read it all here! Book: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

*Anne. Someday, I need to go to PEI (Prince Edward Island in Canada) and hunt down Green Gables and Anne’s room. I loved this series and Anne so much. Her confidence, mischief, boldness, and her wonderfully feisty personality are to die for. I mean, she takes it as an insult when someone misspells her name (without an E at the end), and literally smashed a slate over Gilbert’s (I LOVE HIM SO MUCH TOO) head when he called her ‘Carrots’. That is my favorite scene from that book. And as she matures, it’s all better because even though she doesn’t have a serious temper (she controls it better), she still makes hilarious mistakes and loses her temper sometimes at times. Book: Anne of the Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

*Mary. I loved Mary’s character. She’s a warm, loving woman who tackles any and every case. She’s a champion for those who are wronged and doesn’t care about money. She’d rather help an old friend for free than bleed their accounts dry. Her Italian family are also very hilarious and it was a refresher to see how much they loved her. Book: Accused by Lisa Scottoline

*Nancy. The very first heroine that I sincerely loved. Her adventures had me turning page after page after page. She introduced me to the world of mysteries and I’ve been hooked ever since. Book: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene

*Mary. This Mary is from The Agency series by Y. S. Lee. Mary is fiesty, determined, and very unlike any lady that you’d find in Victorian England’s society. The mysteries she solves are all engrossing and I really loved her relationship with James. Book: A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee

*Jane. Jane is like all the other girls/ladies on this list. Feisty, determined, and a serious reader just like me!. Her determination, and passion is unmatched and she is very modern for her times. (It’s the 1300s/1500s or something around or in between that?) She’s a feminist in a time when women were considered nothing more than just another pawn in a game. Book: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

*Cammie. Her series are amazing! I’m sooo heart-broken that it had to come to an end, but I love you Cammie. I loved you, I still love you, and I will forever love you till the end of time. Book: Gallagher Girl Series by Ally Carter

*Lia. The Naturals is one the best psychological mystery series that I’ve read and one of the side characters, Lia, is amazing. She’s bold, she’s manipulative, sweet, caring in her own way (aka she hates you everyday until you realize she secretly fiercely loves you and would protect you forever and ever), and one of the best side characters I’ve ever encountered. I love how one of the books centered around her past (I’m sorry, it’s been a while and I can’t remember which one…). Book: The Naturals Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

*Sammy. Sammy Keyes is the very definition of sarcasm and humor. I’m pretty sure a picture of her would show up in Merriam Webster’s definition of the words. Eighteen books of Sammy being a relate-able 13-14 year old, sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong, and getting into all kinds of trouble (with the bad guys, good guys, and her arch-nemesis at school) will have you in stitches and wishing there were more books. The books are all light and humorous and I highly recommend them! Book: Sammy Keyes Series by Wendelin Van Draanen

*Will Robie. He’s a calculated assassin who has made his personal life very detached from his professional one. He’s never let himself love anyone and doesn’t have any family to speak of. I loved his simplicity, no-nonsense manner, and sympathized with him a lot over the course of the series. Warning: There’s a considerable amount of violence and death in the series. Book: The Innocent by David Baldacci

UPDATE:

*Jo. I just realized that I forgot to add Jo from Little Women… (why am I so scatter-brained?) She’s an aspiring authoress (like me), has a hot temper (like me), loves her family fiercely (like me), and she also broke my heart later on in the novel (something to do with Laurie in case you are wondering). But I still love her and will forever do. Book: Little Women and Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott (The one I read incorporated Little Women and Good Wives into one, but they are sometimes separate books.)

That’s it for this Tuesday!

Who are your favorite characters/couples? Let’s chat in the comments! (Be sure to link to your TTT so I can check it out!)