February Wrap-Up and March TBR

Hello, all!

It's been another month, and that means it is time to see how I liked the books I read in February and plan out what I'll be reading in March! Check it out below:

February Wrap-Up

1) Death Note Vol. 3: Hard Run by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata


I continued on with the Death Note series at the start of this month. Volume 3 was just as great as the first two volumes. I love this series so much, you guys. So many corrupt and fascinating characters, so much ambiguity and interesting twists. I highly recommend this series if you're wanting to get into mangas!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


2) Jackaby by William Ritter

I have a full review of this one, here. I enjoyed it, but didn't necessarily love it, either.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Cups of Tea


3) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi


This is one of two graphic novels that I had to read for my International Fiction class. I absolutely loved it! It is a autobiographical story about Marjane's childhood in Iran, both before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Her family is so interesting to read about, and Satrapi tells such an interesting story with the use of her illustrations.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


4) Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi

This is part two of Satrapi's story. Part of this happens in Europe with Marjane as a teenager, and the other half of it happens back in Iran with Marjane as an adult. This is definitely darker than the first, but just as amazing. Definitely recommend these books.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


5) Austenland by Shannon Hale


I also did a full review of this one, which you can find here. Again, didn't love it, didn't hate it.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


6) Uprooted by Naomi Novik

A full review of this one can be found here. This was a great fantasy read, and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Cups of Tea


7) Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer


To those of you who love regency romances, please, please check out Georgette Heyer if you haven't heard of her. Her books are simply beautiful. They're so much fun to read, with lots of twists and cute romances. I highly recommend her books! This is one I hadn't read before, and I'm so glad I finally got around to it. I didn't think the two characters that I wanted together would end up together, but they did, and I was so pleased!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


8) I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

I loved reading this. I learned so, so much about Malala and Pakistan and the Taliban. I just feel so educated and amazed. Malala is amazing, and you should all go read her book. You will learn so much! I'm just going to go ahead and leave off with two of my favorite quotes from this. The first: "A Talib fires three shots at point-blank range at three girls in a van and doesn’t kill any of them. This seems an unlikely story, and people say I have made a miraculous recovery. My friend Shazia, who was hit twice, was offered a scholarship at Atlantic College in Wales so has also come to the UK for schooling, and so has Kainat. I know God stopped me from going to the grave. It feels like this life is a second life. People prayed to God to spare me, and I was spared for a reason— to use my life for helping people." And the second: "Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human."

Rating: 5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


9) Death Note Vol. 4: Love by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

This was an interesting installment. I still enjoyed it and raced through it, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others. I'm excited to start the fifth volume soon, though, because this left off on a major cliffhanger.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Cups of Tea


10) Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I haven't quite finished this one yet, but I'm almost done and unless something traumatic or awful happens, I will be giving this book all my love forever and always. Expect a full review at some point soon!

Rating: Possible 5 out of 5 Cups of Tea



March TBR

1) A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

I get to buy a new book! I get to buy a new book! I have officially read 10 books from my shelf, and that means that this bad boy is mine! This is the sequel to Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic, which I reviewed, here. I also, got to read the first few chapters of this via NetGalley, and it just made me so, so excited to get my hands on this! Seriously, Schwab is a literary genius. I can't wait to read this.

2) The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin


This is, I believe, about a man who owns a bookshop and leads a fairly quiet life. Then a child is dropped on his stoop, and he takes the child in. I've heard nothing but cute, wonderful things about this novel, and I am so excited to get started on this one! Definitely keep an eye out for a review!


3) The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg


I have no idea what this is about. The name sounded cool, and I got it for like $2.99 on Amazon one day last year. I imagine it has something to do with books (or paper of some sort) and magic, which sounds right up my alley! I'm excited to hopefully review this one, as well, so be on the look out.


4) The Awakening (and selected short stories) by Kate Chopin

Fun fact: Kate Chopin is the author of one of my favorite short stories ever: "The Story of An Hour." I've had The Awakening for years now, but I have still not read it, and enough is enough. I'm going to pick this one up and see what all the fuss is about (apparently there is/was much fuss about this book.) Needless to say, I'm excited! Also, I've decided (once again, because I'm sure this has been a thing before that I stopped doing at one point or another on accident) that I should be reading at least one classic a month, and so this goes to fulfilling that goal!

5) Evernight by Claudia Gray

This is about vampires and by an author that wrote one of my favorite YA books, A Thousand Pieces of You. So, I'm pretty excited to get to this one! I haven't really heard much about this series, so I'm excited that I'm able to go into this with no expectations.


6) The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Mistborn series, though I believe it has been around for a while, has been getting a lot of attention recently, and so I'm finally hopping onto the bandwagon and starting it! This is a fairly long book, so it may take me most of spring break to get through, but I'm really looking forward to it. As I said a few weeks ago, I'm wanting to get into more fantasy, and this is supposed to be some legit, intense fantasy, so I'm super excited to get reading!



7) The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I've also decided that I want to read at least one book by a POC author per month. One would think that I wouldn't have to set out to do this, but I've realized that the authors I read tend to be mostly white, so I'm going to try and put in some effort to change this! I got The Color Purple for fairly cheap a few months ago while visiting Powell's in Portland, Oregon, but accidentally left it at home during Christmas break. So, when I go home in a few weeks, I'll be able to pick this one up and count this towards this new monthly goal!

Well, that's it from me! Have you read any of these? Do you think I'll enjoy them? Let me know in the comments!

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

Let's Go To The Movies: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Hello!

Last weekend, I went to see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and it was everything that I ever hoped for. It was a fun and romantic portrayal of Pride and Prejudice that paid homage to both the 1995 and 2005 movie adaptations, but with the added bonus of zombies. It really did have everything you could have wished for:

GORGEOUS leading men? Check!


Darcy in a leather jacket and minutes later in a white t-shirt jumping into a lake? Check!


Perhaps the best portrayal of Mr. Collins ever? Check!


Oh, and let us not forget the best part: beautiful, kick-ass leading ladies that are instant squad goals: 

Seriously, this entire movie was one ridiculously amazing thing after another. Though it did divert from the Pride and Prejudice story a bit towards the end, it overall did a good job of adapting the story for what it was wanting to accomplish. The addition of zombies was fun and made for some great jump-scare moments every now and then.

This was perhaps the coolest Lizzy to ever exist. She was unapologetic like the Lizzy we all know and love, but now she has the ability to kill zombies and look absolutely gorgeous while doing so. I basically wanted every single dress that Lizzy wore the entire movie. Also, the Bennet sisters are seriously instant squad goals in this movie. They may argue, and they may tease each other, but when it comes down to it, they'll ride into any zombie church for their sisters.

My favorite scene was probably the first time Darcy proposes. It turns into a physical fight between Darcy and Lizzy, and let's just say that the sexual tension is strong in this scene. There was of course the last scene few scenes of the movie that I loved as well, which were absolute cuteness and fluff.

This movie was honestly just so much fun to watch. I do wish there would have been some things from Pride and Prejudice that they didn't cut, but they did include my favorite line (albeit out of place, but whatever) so I can't complain too much about what they cut. (My favorite line for those wondering: "I cannot fix on the hour or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." -Mr. Darcy.)

Overall, this movie is definitely worth seeing for any Austen fan. Even if you end up not loving it, I think its a fun to experience it at least once!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Cups of Tea

Top 5: Books I've Read in University

Hello, all!

To those of you who don't know, I'm in my junior year of college. I'm majoring in English with concentrations in both literature and creative writing. This means a lot of reading. Some books I hate, some books I read simply because I have to, and some books I fall head over heels in love with. These are the top five books I've read while in college:

5) White Noise by Don DeLillo

This is about a Hitler Studies professor, his eclectic family, the "airborne toxic event" that strikes their town, and the overwhelming fear of death that some of the characters face. Laced with satire and social commentary, this novel is both hilarious and chilling. I absolutely loved reading this and even enjoyed the paper I wrote about it.

4) Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

I read this for both a Brit Lit class and a theatre class. This has got to be one of my favorite comedies from Shakespeare. It's hilarious and such a fun read. I was so glad when I read it the first time, and even more excited to read it a second time in a theatre class. We went to see a live production, also, which I loved! 

3) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Many people read this in high school apparently, but I never did. In one of my Brit Lit classes we read this, and I instantly loved it. It was easily the best thing we read in that class. I love framing narratives, so this was perfect for me, and I also loved the moral and ethical issues of creation that were brought up in this book. I really want to reread this one again soon. 

2) Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

I just read this a few weeks ago in my International Fiction class and fell in love with it. This is novel is amazing. Dangarembga is from Zimbabwe, and this novel talks about a young girl there who struggles to gain an education. Then her uncle takes her in to attend his mission school. This novel covers a wide range of topics, from education, to colonization, to feminism, to eating disorders. I highly, highly recommend this novel!

1) The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is actually a short story collection, not a novel, but still so worth reading! Adichie has quickly become one of my favorite authors in the last year. Her writing is stunning and so, so moving. Every story in this collection has something important to say, and each one is written to perfectly get readers there. If you're looking for an amazing author or even just an amazing person in general, I would definitely check out Adichie. She has a couple of tedtalks on feminism and the importance of stereotypes and single stories, both of which I also highly recommend.

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Synopsis: The valley Agnieszka lives in is surrounded by the Woods. The Woods and its creatures haunt her people, occasionally stealing men and women away to never return them. The Dragon, a man who lives in a far-off tower and protects the valley from the Woods, comes once every ten years and takes a girl from her family. No one knows what he does with them, but they return ten years later, in time for the next girl to be taken. Each woman returns slightly altered, prettier and uppity. Every woman returns home only to leave home again, wanting more than what their town can offer them.

It is Agnieszka's seventeenth year, and it is time for the Dragon to take his next girl. Everyone knows that it is going to be Agnieszka's best friend, Kasia, the prettiest, most poised young woman in the valley. All are shocked, Agnieszka espicially, when the Dragon doesn't choose Kasia, but chooses to take her instead. In moments she is swept away to the far-off tower where she and the Dragon both discover that there is something very different about her compared to the rest of the girls he has chosen to take in the past. Agnieszka has magic in her veins, a magic that is old and confusing to the Dragon and his own magic.

When the Woods begin attacking at a more rapid speed, can the two of them work together to stop it? Or will their entire valley be consumed?

Review: This novel reminded me of how little fantasy I actually read. I mean, like real fantasy. It was a much needed read, as I just haven't read a good, long fantasy book in a while. Its actually in the 400 page range, but I think it felt much longer because it did not have that much dialogue. There was just so much description and action, that dialogue was placed sparingly, espicially compared to most novels today, which sometimes seem to be all dialogue.

The characters sometimes fell a little flat for me, seeming, at times, one-dimensional. There was more under the surface for each character, but none of them stuck out to me as all that amazing. Nothing specific annoyed me about them, but none of them became favorite characters, either.

I enjoyed the love story. It was slow-going and tense, but it worked out in the end. I enjoyed how slow-going it was. It gave the characters time to know each other and not have insta-love. I do feel like The Dragon should have majorly worked on his anger-issues before getting into a relationship. That would probably be my one major complaint about the book.

The writing, at times, was absolute perfection. Such beautiful details and wording. There were, however, some awkwardly phrased sentences that threw me out of the story at times. I had to reread them a few times before understanding and being able to move on. There weren't too many of these, but there were enough for me to notice it.

The plot was fast-paced, moving quickly from one happening to the next. There was truly never a dull moment in this novel. The world-building was really great as well. I would love more from this world, but I don't know if we're going to get it, as I believe this is a stand-alone.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It reminded me that I need to read more fantasy. I would suggest for those looking for a good fantasy novel, for those looking for a novel with a really cool magic system, or for those looking for a book that a lot of people have been talking about recently.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Cups of Tea

Author Spotlight: Libba Bray

Today's Author Spotlight is on Libba Bray, one of my all time favorite authors. I first started reading her books when I was thirteen, and I have been a fan since the very first book. Check below for the multitude of amazing stories you can read from her.

The Gemma Doyle Series

This series was one of the first I read from the YA section of my bookstore. It has been years since I picked up A Great and Terrible Beauty, but I can still remember the way my heart pounded while reading this book. I can remember the excitement, the magic, the emotion. This was a fast-paced read that completely and utterly sucked me in. From the friendships (Ultimate girl squad, right here.) to the romance (Kartik, my little shipper heart will never get over you.), these books were the perfect series to get me into YA. I really want to reread them soon, as it has been too long without these amazing characters and stories in my life. 

The Diviners Series

If you love things that go bump in the night, then this is the best Libba Bray book for you. If you love the 20's, too, then this is definitely the book for you. Murder, supernatural abilities, the roaring 20s, these books have it all. Plus, they're super long. Short books end too quickly; these are books you can hang out in for a while and really get to know the world they inhabit before coming back to reality. I have yet to read Lair of Dreams, but its on the TBR list for sure! 

Stand Alones

   

Both of these novels are stand alone books, though we all wish for more of these characters. Beauty Queens has been compared to Lord of the Flies... but you know, with teen pageant queens instead of ten year old boys. I haven't picked this one up quite yet, but I've heard it's one of Bray's best books, really bringing in her humor. Though I haven't read this one, I do have another recommendation if you want something to laugh about, and that's Going Bovine. Seriously, my sister and I had inside jokes about this book for years after reading it. This novel is about a sick high schooler named Cameron, his dwarf friend Gonzo, a garden gnome that the two pick up, and a possible angel that he may or may not be falling for. Going Bovine is Cameron's hilarious and heroic journey to find a cure for his sickness.

Seriously, anything by Libba Bray is great to pick up. The great thing about her is her wide range of books. You want romance and magic set in the 1800s? You got it. You want ghosts and psychics? You got it. You want plane crashed beauty queens? You got it. You want dying teenagers on a hilarious journey? You got it. Whatever your tastes, I highly recommend all of these books. Yes, even the ones I haven't yet read. It's by Libba Bray, so it's gonna be good.

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

Top 5: Books I Read As A Child

This weekend, I had the immense joy of going into a children's bookstore on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC. There, I got to browse through a couple aisles of books that brought back a lot of memories. As I shopped for a few books for my six year old cousin's birthday, I couldn't help but pick up the ones I had such fond memories of reading as a child. So, I thought this week's Top 5 could be about my favorite childhood books.

5) Biscuit Books by Alyssa Satin Capucilli


I have always loved dogs, and so this was the perfect book for me as a child. Part of my love for these books were the stories, but a majority of my love came from how adorable Biscuit is. I mean, he's one of the cutest illustrated dog ever, espicially to a six year old who loved puppies. These were also some of the first books that I remember learning to read with. I distinctly remember the one where Biscuit befriends a baby duck. So adorable!


4) Corduroy by Don Freeman


I remember wanting to read this book all the time as a child. I'm sure my parents got tired of reading this one to me and were probably thrilled when I learned to read by myself. Part of my love for this one was the story, but the other part was purely the illustrations. I have vivid memories of turning the pages and just wanting to study each picture. I was usually more invested in the story, but this one was definitely more about the illustrations.


3) Madeline by Ludwig Bémelmans

I loved this book with an insane passion for a child. This is the book that lead to my love of Paris and probably the start of my wanting red hair. I also loved the movie. I probably loved the movie more than I loved the book, actually. Whenever I couldn't watch the movie, I would just read the book. Because of this story, I basically wanted to be a curious, adventurous red-headed orphan living in Paris. Now, I'm a red-head living in Seattle... Does that count?

2) Tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter


I had the large hardcover copy of the complete tales of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix Potter was apparently a goddess in our household when I was a small child. I only have a couple of memories of reading Peter Rabbit, but I have this odd fondness and nostalgia whenever I hear it brought up that always makes me smile.


1) The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne


Guys, this was five year old Acacia's bae. I remember reading this more times than anything else as a child. I had the cassette tapes that I would plug into my Hello Kitty radio, and I would lie on the ground and listen to it. My first ever memory of reading is reading from this book, sounding out the words with my dad's help. I still have the copy I had as a child. Though I've gotten rid of most of my books from my childhood, whether donating them or passing them on to the baby relatives that have come along over the years, this is the one I have never been able to get rid of. It started my love for reading, and you can't just get rid of that.

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia