Emily. 26. USA. Hufflepuff. Tully.

CURRENTLY READING Shift by Hugh Howey ----------------------------------------------------- GoodReads 2017 Reading Challenge 69/65 Books Read 2017 TBR Pile Challenge 12/12 Books Read 2015-2020 Classics Club Challenge 33/50 Books Read ----------------------------------------------------- (I follow from gotchaamelia) #adultbooklr

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A Little Piece of Her by Zidrou My rating: 4 of 5 stars Wow. This little book tackles a very important topic that very few people actively discuss. Bringing awareness of FGM in a very direct way, discussing cultural differences, and being downright visually stunning, this graphic novel is a powerful little beast. I quickly grew attached to the characters, and it is devastating to know that many women go through a similar story as the main character, Antoinette, and her daughter Marie-Léontine. The audience is educated about the shocking process of FGM through the eyes of Yu Kiang, who is himself learning about the controversial tradition for the first time. Important, relevant, and gripping. I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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Les Beaux Étés - Tome 1 - Cap au sud ! by Zidrou My rating: 4 of 5 stars Glorious Summers was a surprisingly attaching story. It showed the intimate ups and downs of the relationship between a mother and father – at a time when life just wears them thin and they question what it is they'd like to get out of life, and how they can achieve that. They take a hard look at their marriage, their family, and how some quality time on a family road trip could reconnect them all. I would love to read more character stories just like this one. I received a digital ARC for the English edition of this graphic novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd My rating: 3 of 5 stars A book filled cover-to-cover with exactly what it promises: Little Moments of Love. It was cute and enjoyable, but I think I'd prefer reading these short comics in snippets on instagram or on greeting cards. Definitely on greeting cards. I was provided a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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Legendary by Stephanie Garber My rating: 3 of 5 stars Overall this book was a quick and enjoyable read. We once again enter the world of Caraval, in all of its magic and mystery. A lot of lore was introduced that wasn't mentioned in the previous book, which made the story feel very jarring to get into. While the details of the plot were completely new, a lot of the larger plot paralleled the first book in a way that felt too repetitive. That said, I bought in and was happy to enjoy the journey. I'm looking forward to the third installment. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel My rating: 5 of 5 stars Waking Gods is a worthy sequel to one of my favorite reads this year so far, Sleeping Giants. Bringing more action, more heart, and more intrigue, Waking Gods brings forth a lot of questions about human nature, world peace, and the great big universe. Go into this series knowing nothing and you'll have a lot to gain. Trust me. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. THANK YOU. View all my reviews

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My Boyfriend Is a Bear by Pamela Ribon My rating: 4 of 5 stars I adore this little graphic novel. From the illustrations to the pure emotions, I read this from cover to cover in glee. This book is a treat. A young woman’s relationship with an actual live bear is met with struggles – from a friend’s negative reactions, to the challenge of not seeing each other for the months of hibernation. Though the obstacles are definitely specific to their unique relationship, the message rings loud and clear for everyone to hold close: Do what makes you happy with the people (or bears?) that you love most and don’t worry about the rest. Five stars from me. I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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The Pisces by Melissa Broder My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book was…a lot. At times I thought I really enjoyed the bluntness of the main character and the writing style but in the end it made me cringe more often than laugh. Conceptually, I loved it. In execution it was just too crass for my taste. I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen My rating: 5 of 5 stars Once again, Sarah Andersen delivers a highly-relatable (too relatable) book for those with anxiety, those that like to create art, and those that just...ya know...are trying to navigate life. I would love to keep this book right next to Neil Gaiman's "Make Good Art" for routine reading. THANK YOU FOR THIS, SARAH. I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book captivated me right out of the gates. Telling the story of four siblings and their individual reactions to a question common to most people: What would you do if you knew the day of your death? What kind of a life would you live, holding that knowledge in your hands? I fell in love with these characters hard, and in concluding each chapter I'd think I couldn't get more attached. I was wrong. This book is a treasure that I will need to find a hard copy of asap. A digital copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad My rating: 4 of 5 stars I'm floored. Thinking of where I was in 2014, completely oblivious to what was happening across the globe - I'm not that much older than Nadia and our experiences are so incredibly different. What I can't get over is that this is so similar to The Handmaid's Tale, but it's happing in front of us, not in a distant past, and not that far away. Excuse me while I go listen to Nadia's speeches and educate myself further. View all my reviews

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Fliers: 20 Small Posters with Big Thoughts by Nathaniel Russell My rating: 3 of 5 stars Fliers is less of a book, and more of an art piece. Ranging from silly to existential, these posters are definitely something that would turn heads around the neighborhood. (Or passed by unnoticed on an art school campus.) I enjoyed it, but I wish there were more than 20. I especially loved the built-in lamppost poster. View all my reviews

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Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn My rating: 3 of 5 stars Dunbar had the opportunity to turn a dense Shakespeare into something emotional - but it barely made it there. I was not as invested as I wanted to be in the characters, and mostly they felt distanced. I'd say cold, but even the cold-hearted characters felt a bit dull. This book is incredibly smart, and does tell the story of King Lear in a creative way. Very much like Shakespeare, I think I would have rather watched this rendition, rather than read it. View all my reviews

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An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur My rating: 5 of 5 stars An Exaltation of Larks contains so much love, pain, joy, and despair–and I loved every second of it. This book was beautifully written, and I felt everything that all of the characters felt. It's not typical that I'll love a book with such a large timeline and a large cast of characters, but I was immediately compelled to follow them all beyond the pages in this book. Laqueur also took the care to be inclusive of sexualities and not making a big deal out of the character's preferences, which is in itself a big deal. I want to read this book over immediately just to experience it again. Suanne Laqueur just gained another fan! I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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The Creeps by Fran Krause My rating: 4 of 5 stars I've been following this comic series on Instagram and it's always a creepy pleasure. I loved the added full-page comics that this book included. Definitely worth picking up if you have ever over-thought a random part of everyday life. View all my reviews

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The List by Patricia Forde My rating: 3 of 5 stars The List held the promise of a really cool premise. I'm a sucker for dystopians, and the loss of language in this way was one I haven't heard before. My only complaint is that I wish the author took the time to build out the world and characters a bit more, and in more of a unique way. This felt very "The Giver" - which could be a really cool thing if it was just stood on its own a bit more. I'd read more stories that take place in this post-apocalyptic world, though. It may be a touch unpolished, but it was a fun, quick read. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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How to Behave in a Crowd by Camille Bordas My rating: 3 of 5 stars With her simple prose, Bordas paints a large portrait of her main character, Isidore Mazal. He is the youngest of a large family, but he seems to be the only one that really sees the details of life. His poignant observances provide an interesting point of perspective into the life of the Mazal family after "the father" passes away. I love the style of this novel, as well as the concept of an extraordinary mind stuck in the normalcy of everyday life. I was provided a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

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Colored Pencil Painting Portraits: Master a Revolutionary Method for Rendering Depth and Imitating Life by Alyona Nickelsen My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a great reference tool for exploring the colored pencil medium. Alyona Nickelsen's portraits are gorgeous, and her techniques are broken down in an understandable manner. I majored in art, and I still found new tactics and information in this book that I'm excited to try out! View all my reviews