Monday Miscellany: Bookish Christmas Gifts for Early Readers

It's often true that I am the dreaded Aunt that always gives books as gifts instead of toys - whups.  This Christmas, my sister-in-law told me that my nephew actually wants early reader books so you can imagine my glee!  To make the gift more fun, I glued the following inside the cover of each book:

I also wrote in the information on each, gave him some extras for future books, and of course a date stamper so he can have fun making it look like a real library card!  For those interested, after doing some research, these are the books that are being gifted:

National Geographic Kids: Polar Bears...how cool is it that National Geographic has early reader books on TONS of different subjects??

Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure!  - I remember my little sister loving Flat Stanley as a kiddo.

Ride, Fly Guy, Ride!  This one is just super fun :)

Ellray Jakes Walks the Plank!

The Legend of Diamond Lil...this one is more of a beginning chapter book - and who doesn't love a mystery?

The Cat on the Mat is Flat...this one is also a longer book but looks super-fun!

I also bought him a few early readers from Target that feature superheroes because I know that he loves Spiderman!  Hopefully he likes his gift and becomes a little bookworm like his Aunt Kat :)

TTT: Top Sequels I Can't Wait to Read!

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this week's topic: Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Get!  I'm going to split this list into sequels I can't wait to come out and then sequels that I still need to read.

Sequels I Can't Wait to be Published:
1.  I absolutely cannot wait until the last installment of The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss comes out - I want to know the end of Kvothe's story!!

2.  I always love the newest installment of The Pink Carnation Series and can't wait until the next mystery/historical romance/adventure!

3.  First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen is a sequel of sorts to Garden Spells.  I can't wait to see what has happened to all of these well-loved characters!

4.  I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the Queen of the Tearling Series!  I really enjoyed the first novel and look forward to The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen in 2015.

Sequels I Can't Wait to Read (but haven't read yet for some reason...)
5.  Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

6.  Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

7.  Across a Star Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

8.  The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

9.  Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartmen

10.  The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

The moral of the story...I really need to wait to start a series until most books are already published.  Whups!

TTT: Top Ten Characters That Should Get Their Own Book

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this week's topic: Top Ten Characters That Should Get Get Their Own Book.

1.  Fermin Romero de Torres from The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2.  Thetis from The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller...she's so mean, scary, and powerful - interesting combo for a heroine!

3.  How about little Rob from Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley?  Oh wait...she already did write a novel about him, Firebird!  (I highly recommend both)

4. I think Ashley Cordova from Marisha Pessl's Night Film would have a very interesting story.

5.  I would have said Auri from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, but he just came out with a book centered around this delightful character called The Slow Regard of Silent Things.

6.  I would love a book focused entirely on the flamboyant Lord Akeldema from Soulless by Gail Carriger

7.  How about Isaac from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars?

8.  Manchee from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

9.  Bay from Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (but I think her soon to be published book, First Frost, revolves around Bay!)

10.  I absolutely loved Swede from Peace Like a River by Leif Enger and think she definitely deserves her own book!

Happy Halloweenie!

Happy Halloween from Grumpy Kat!

Top Books of 2014 So Far...

Welp, it's officially past mid-year so I figure it's time to reflect on the first half of 2014.  Now, even though I'm not where I want to be quantity-wise in my reading, I'm pretty happy with the quality of books I've read so far.  Without further ado, here is my list of faves in 2014 so far:

1.  And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Housseini

2.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

3.  Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

4.  Night Film by Marisha Pessl

5.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

6.  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

7.  Three Souls by Janie Chang

Latest Review: Three Souls by Janie Chang

Summary Blurb:
We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this ... So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls—stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun—who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.

As Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, she sees the spoiled and privileged teenager she once was, a girl who is concerned with her own desires while China is fractured by civil war and social upheaval. At a party, she meets Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator, and instantly falls in love with him.

When Leiyin defies her father to pursue Hanchin, she learns the harsh truth—that she is powerless over her fate. Her punishment for disobedience leads to exile, an unwanted marriage, a pregnancy, and, ultimately, her death. And when she discovers what she must do to be released from limbo into the afterlife, Leiyin realizes that the time for making amends is shorter than she thought.

Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom.

 
My Blabberings:
It's been awhile since I've read some Chinese historical fiction and I'm so glad that I broke that streak.  I've never read much about the Communist movement in China so this time period was really fascinating for me.

I thought the characters were complex enough to be both realistic and sympathetic.  I loved Leiyin even though she could be naive and spoiled.  All of the secondary characters were also very compelling - whether they were villains, friends, or dwelling in a moral gray area.

My overall opinion was that this is a great historical fiction novel that also encompasses some of the mystic religious qualities unique to Chinese culture (Leiyin's yin, yang, and hun souls).  If you are a fan of Lisa See, Amy Tan, or just historical fiction in general - this is definitely a book worth checking out!

4.5/5 stars

Enjoying the World Cup Festivities

We may have lost yesterday but it was still so much fun to take part in the World Cup craziness!  Yesterday my hubby and I joined the crowds and went to the Mass Ave. World Cup Block Party in Indianapolis - it was insane...and insanely fun!

This is what it looked like when we first walked into the designated block party area.

And when we settled into our spot this was our view (well, I had to stand on our cooler to get this shot).

And lastly, I had to take a photo of these girls with their awesome sign.

Now that USA is out of the running, I'm not sure who to root for...Belgium? Argentina (because of Messi)?  Have you guys caught the World Cup bug?

TTT: Top Ten Classics

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this week's topic: Top Ten Classic Books

1.  Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

2.  Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

3.  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

4.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

5.  A Separate Peace by John Knowles

6.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

7.  The Stranger by Albert Camus

8.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

9.  Night by Elie Wiesel

10.  1984 by George Orwell