stay serene and read

serene (suh-reen) adj. - calm, peaceful, tranquil ///// hella / 23 /currently reading: city of bones

[clairelaminenbooks-deactivated2]

Character Introduction: Sarah Byrne

[clairelaminenbooks-deactivated2]

The sequel to Across the Formidable Sea is officially in progress. 

Stay tuned. 

[inevereveni-deactivated20190912]

[serenereading]

His fear was borne out of ferocious love for his family. It was the kind of love that would withstand fire and storm, the kind of love that would kill, and had before. Laura was surprised by the fresh green envy that sprouted within her. What must it be like to be on the receiving end of such a love?

Claire Laminen, Across the Formidable Sea

[verylostpenguin]

*slams book shut*

“When I open this again I’d better not read what I thought I just did”

[s-t-a-y-i-n-g]

• тнє αят σƒ нσℓ∂ιηg ση •

[serenereading]

tfw a lot of the books you own are on kindle so you can’t take aesthetic pictures of them 

[throne-of-pages-deactivated2021]

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”

― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

[wordsnquotes]

Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.

George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (via wordsnquotes)

[soverymediaaddicted]

How’s it feel? I mean, I know what it’s like to watch you go…but what’s it like to always be the one that’s going?

Clare Abshire (via soverymediaaddicted)

[apagewithaview]

YA Fairy Tale Retellings

I’ve had several people ask for some YA retelling book recommendations, so here are a few of each! I marked my favorites with an asterisk:

Cinderella

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine*

Cinder by Marissa Meyer*

Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

Cinderella and the Colonel by K.M. Shea

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Bewitching by Alex Flinn

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (the sequels get way better)*

Snow White

Winter by Marissa Meyer*

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Mirrored by Alex Flinn

Beauty by Nancy Ohlin

Nameless by Lili St. Crow

Devoured by Amanda Marrone

Beauty & the Beast

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge*

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beast by Brie Spangler

Beauty and the Beast by K.M. Shea

Beauty by Robin McKinley

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas*

Of Beast & Beauty by Stacey Jay

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

Sleeping Beauty

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay (about Aurora’s daughter)*

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley

Rapunzel

Cress by Marissa Meyer*

Reign of Shadow by Sophie Jordan

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Towering by Alex Flinn

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn

The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun

Peter Pan

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Never Never by Brianna Shrum

Everland by Wendy Spinale

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse

Never Ever by Sara Saedi

The Child Thief by Brom

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

Aladdin/1,001 Nights

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury*

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh*

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

Red Riding Hood

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer*

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Hansel & Gretel: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

The Little Mermaid: Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

The Frog Prince: 

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

Water Song by Suzanne Weyn

Rumpelstiltskin: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

The Snow Queen

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce

Winter’s Child by Cameron Dokey

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

Heart of Ice by K.M. Shea

[youngadultquoted]

Recommended Reads of 2016

(in which I realize how horrible I am at describing books)

As 2016 draws to a close, I decided to make a list of ten of my favorite books I read this year (not necessarily books published in 2016 though).  I hope you all appreciate this, and I’d love to know what books you loved this year as well!

In no particular order:

1. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord: This was one of the first books I read this year, and it was so adorable I just had to put it on this list.  It’s about a girl whose first and only boyfriend died, so she is now living her life with a lot more caution.  Basically, it just chronicles how she copes with this and lives her life (I’m so sorry that was a horrible synopsis haha).   By no means was the writing beautiful, and there were plenty of cringe-worthy moments, but it was just a nice and (mostly) fluffy read.  All the references to literature (specifically to Pride and Prejudice) made my nerdy heart happy.  Also, I am such a sucker for a cute nerdy guy (both in books and real life, haha–honestly, if you know of a good book with this kind of guy, let me know) so I understandably loved Max.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: The Start of Me and You was actually what convinced me to finally read this classic, and boy am I glad I did!!! Honestly, I’m so obsessed with this story (which I don’t think I need to summarize).  Like, this obsession is unhealthy.  I’ve only read the book once, but I’ve watched the miniseries like three times this year and the movie (from 2005, obviously) probably (and I am not even kidding) 20 or 30 times this year.  Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen (if you’re as in love with him as I am, you HAVE to listen to him reading some of Pride and Prejudice – I want him to narrate my life omg) are literally my faves fajkldjgaoi I AM OBSESSED AAH.  But I digress, because this is about books.  Basically I love it.

3. First & Then by Emma Mills: Okay so this is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice (are you noticing a theme?? – I could literally read/watch nothing but P&P adaptations for the rest of my life and be perfectly content).  As the blurb on Goodreads said, it’s like Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights.  Basically, it follows this girl named Devon and the football star, Ezra.  I’m so obsessed that I completely ignored my complete and utter abomination for all sports in order to enjoy the P&P aspect and it was so cute I finished it in less than a day.  

4. Winter by Marissa Meyer: I loved the entire Lunar Chronicles series, but this one was my favorite.  Basically, the series is a sort of sci-fi/dystopian fairy tale retelling with cyborgs and space travel and I really enjoyed it .  Also, the cover??? Amazing.

5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: This is a well-known classic, so I’ll spare you the details, but it was just so good (and it’s nice and short if that’s something that interests you) and so scarily accurate for a dystopian novel.

6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Again, a well-known classic about racism and basic human morality in a southern town during the Great Depression.  I have nothing to say that you haven’t heard before, so I’ll just say: it was absolutely wonderful.

7. Paperweight by Meg Haston: I want to preface this by saying it heavily discusses eating disorders, so that is something to be mindful of. It was such a raw and captivating story and I felt it handled the topic well.  I really felt for the characters.  The story was sad and disheartening (an intrinsic quality when it comes to mental illness) but I just felt Haston did a really amazing job with it.

8. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: This book is about a girl with an illness so severe she can’t leave her own home.  It follows her life as she becomes interested in her new neighbor (I am blowing myself away with my horrible synopses hahaha - if you really want to know, click the book titles to go to their respective Goodreads pages).  It was a really interesting story that I flew right through.

9. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon: I know I’ve mentioned this one before, but I’ll do it again.  It’s about a Jamaican girl whose family is about to be deported and a Korean boy who doesn’t want to follow the plan his parents have set out for them.  They spend a day together in New York City and it’s pretty great.  I loved the little in-between perspectives we got and the blend of science and romance/fate/destiny kind of stuff.  I loved it!!

10. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork: This is another book about mental illness – specifically depression, suicidal thoughts, and schizophrenia.  It’s about a girl who, after attempting suicide, gets to know three other kids with problems like hers.  It didn’t romanticize mental illness or sugarcoat anything, and it made me cry (and I don’t cry often at books) but it was a really captivating story.  

There you have it, folks! My top ten from 2016.  I sincerely wish you all a wonderful 2017 filled with happiness, love, and new memories!!! I love you all! 

[therepublicofletters]

Book Recs for Tumblr

I know tumblr has had its obsessions with some other books, like The Secret History and things of those nature – so I thought I might recommend some things in a similar vein~

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Perfume: the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

[bookmania]

What a blessing it is to love books. Everybody must love something, and I know of no objects of love that give such substantial and unfailing returns as books and a garden.

Elizabeth von Arnim (via bookmania)

[boy-so-pale]

[bookklempt]

“She was an island, bound to no land, doomed to float in obscurity”

Set in the 1920’s, Laura Stratford, the British aristocrat trapped by family obligation, and Laura Elliott, the strong, beautiful girl, begging for freedom, duel for control. Laura Elliott-Stratford whisked off to Britain after her father’s death, struggles to fit in and to be herself. With the help of Graham, Sarah, and Jeremy, her recently acquainted friends, she just might do that.

I loved this book, and will definitely read it again and again. Claire’s complex and imperfect characters draw you in and the world she builds around them makes you stay. I went in thinking this was an average romance novel and I got to meet this sophisticated yet relatable heroine, who I will miss dearly. I would recommend this book to anyone. With a mixture of historical fiction, romance, and finding oneself, I believe anyone who picks it up will fall in love with it as I have.

Beó an dòchas Ever hopeful Casey💕 Across the formidable sea by Claire Laminen