End-of-the-Year Survey – 2015

I enjoy filling out surveys, and I (obviously) love books, so this end-of-the-year survey hosted by Jamie (Perpetual Page Turner) is right up my alley! Read on for my answers :)

Number Of Books You Read: 111 + about 10 manuscripts during my internship (Jan-April)
Number of Re-Reads: 18
Genre You Read The Most From: probably urban fantasy (YA is NOT a category!)

1. Best Book You Read In 2015?
It’s a cross between Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Becky Albertali) and Every Word (Ellie Marney).

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
The Bane Chronicles. I mean, I wasn’t really surprised because I haven’t liked the last four Cassandra Clare books I’ve read, but Magnus was always my favourite character.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
When Everything Feels Like the Movies (Raziel Reid) – it got a lot of buzz when it was chosen as one of the finalists for Canada Reads, and that in itself was surprising (in a good way!).

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I’m going to say Every Breath a) because I recommend it on pretty much a monthly basis (technically I read it in 2014, but it was literally the last book I read – I finished it on December 31!) and b) my sister read it and become just as obsessed!

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?
Best series started: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)
Best sequel: Every Word (Ellie Marney)
Best series ender: The Wondrous and the Wicked (Page Morgan)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?
Susin Nielsen. I read literally all her books (including one that’s not even published yet!) this year.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Unbearable Lightness – Portia de Rossi

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Every Move (Ellie Marney). I could not move while reading it.

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Cinder (Marissa Meyer) because I haven’t picked up the rest of the series yet, and I’ll probably have to re-read it before I continue.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?
The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee

11. Most memorable character of 2015?
Nimona – Noelle Stevenson

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?
The Book Thief (Markus Zusack) is gorgeous, but it was a re-read. “New” book that was beautifully written: Magonia (Maria Dahvana Headley)

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?
The Universe Versus Alex Woods – Gavin Extence.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?
Soulless – Gail Carriger. It has so many things I love in it!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

I have seen the aftermath of death, the incredible mechanism of the body laid bare, and I know now that each person is a kind of miracle. A spark nestles like a bird inside our chests, so deep that we can’t find where it lives, but it is everything. It’s what makes us dream and think and feel and laugh and sing. And it is a mystery, and it is mundane, and, above all, it is fragile. Any moment could be our last. – Rachel Watts, Every Word

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?
The shortest (not including picture books or comics) was The Little Prince with 98 pages and the longest was the Complete Blooming Goddess Trilogy (Tallulah Darling) with 1080 pages total (it was all one ebook, so if I was counting individual books, it would be Outlander with 850 pages).

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
The Hollow Boy – Jonathan Stroud. THAT ENDING. I NEED THE NEXT ONE LIKE NOW.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Wattscroft forever!!! Ellie Marney is in charge of writing all the kissing scenes forever.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Flavia and Dogger from Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Why We Broke Up – Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket!)

21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
My sister told me repeatedly to read a Gail Carriger novel and I’m SO GLAD I read Soulless (and the sequel, Changeless!).

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?
Technically he’s from the end of 2014, but who doesn’t love James Mycroft??

23. Best 2015 debut you read?
Mad Miss Mimic – Sarah Henstra

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Nimona – Noelle Stevenson

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?
I flat out sobbed at the end of The Wondrous and the Wicked (Page Morgan).

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Not published in 2015, but I really enjoyed Knightly and Son – Rohan Gavin

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
In terms of being sad, I’d say Why We Broke Up, but if you’re talking about one that beat me down until I finished it, I’d say Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?
Lair of Dreams – Libba Bray

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Anne & Henry – Dawn Ius. I had such high hopes for it because it had such a great concept, but the characters infuriated me.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?
This year was the first year I really paid attention to book blogs and really worked on my own reviews. Some of my favourite blogs include: Pop! Goes the Reader, The Broke and the Bookish, A Reader of Fictions, Snuggly Oranges, Cuddlebuggery, and, of course Perpetual Page Turner, plus a whole lot more! I also have to shout out to all the blogs I follow/who follow me here :)

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?
Probably my Simon vs review or my extensive review for Every Breath/Every Word.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
The post with the most comments was my Top Ten Books of 2015 from a few weeks ago.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
I helped out at OLA which was a really interesting experience, but I also got to meet Alan Bradley at Random House which was really cool (he’s such an adorable old man!).

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?
Interning at Tundra was definitely a highlight and I got to work on their blog, which was lots of fun!

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
Finding time to write the reviews in between writing for Mind the Gap/idobi!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Every Word blog tour (most views on one particular day); overall, it was my Blurryface track-by-track review (in terms of views) and top 10 books of 2015 (in terms of comments).

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I’m quite proud of my UK in YA TTT!

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
Apart from all the blogs I mentioned earlier, I’ve also really enjoyed Book Riot and the read-iculously cheap Book Outlet.

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I set 100 books as my Goodreads challenge and surpassed that goal!

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?
Good Omens (Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett) is going to be the first book I read in 2016.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?
I don’t even know if it will come out in 2016, but I’m salivating for the next Lockwood and Co (Jonathan Stroud) book.

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
The Love That Split The World – Emily Henry. It’s been getting a lot of hype and it was the first book to come to mind.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?
I’m really hoping that Every Move will be published in North America next year so I can complete my collection!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?
I’m setting a goal for 120 books, plus one of my resolutions is to read more classics. And my sister and I (and possibly our nine year old niece) are going to do a full Harry Potter re-read which is really exciting.

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
The two 2016 books I’ve read so far have been The Serpent King (Jeff Zentner) and Vikki VanSickle’s If I Had a Gryphon (illustrated by Cale Atkinson), both of which I recommend (and will have reviews up in the next couple of months!).

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

This week’s prompt is Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015. I’ve narrowed it down to the best books I’ve read this year that were released in 2015 (I read some good ones that are at least a year old!).

Each one is linked to my review (the first three are in order).

1. Every Word – Ellie Marney
2. The Hollow Boy – Jonathan Stroud
3. The Wondrous and the Wicked – Page Morgan
4. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertali
5. Nimona – Noelle Stevenson
6. Mad Miss Mimic – Sarah Henstra
7. The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath / The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl – Ishbelle Bee
8. Dumplin’ – Julie Murphy
9. Library of Souls – Ransom Riggs
10. Alice Takes Back Wonderland – David D. Hammons

BONUS
Here are another five books that I rated 5 interrobangs that weren’t released in 2015 (and that don’t include any re-reads!):

1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor (review coming soon!)
2. The Universe Versus Alex Woods – Gavin Extence
3. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen – Susin Nielsen
4. Soulless – Gail Carriger
5. Outlander – Diana Gabaldon

What were your top ten books this year?

ARC Reviews – July 2015

This round-up is a day late because I honestly forgot about it until late yesterday. Either way, this month wasn’t terribly productive in terms of ARCs, but they were all decent. It was also the first time I conducted an author interview, so that was exciting!

• A Whole New World – Liz Braswell: “It’s YA, but it feels like the young end of YA – more 12-14 than 14-16 – which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, but don’t go in expecting something scandalous, even if there are some surprisingly violent scenes.” (3 interrobangs)
• A Curse of Ash and Iron – Christine Norris: “I felt like it was lacking something. It was a decent story and it had some really fascinating elements, but my inability to connect with the characters made it a hard read.” (2.5 interrobangs)
• The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl – Ishbelle Bee: “The writing continues to have a lovely lyrical quality to it, even when she’s writing descriptions of a massacre.” (4 interrobangs)
  • I also got the chance to interview the lovely Ishbelle Bee, which you can read here.
• Placid Girl – Brenna Ehrlich: “I liked the concept, and I think it serves as an excellent cautionary tale.” (3 interrobangs)

Author Interview: Ishbelle Bee

Hello and welcome to my first author interview! I was stoked to get a chance to interview Ishbelle Bee, author of the “adult fairy tales”, The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath and The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl. Both are excellent reads and I highly recommend them.

Thanks once again to Penny at Angry Robot for reaching out to me!

Hi Ishbelle! Let’s start with a mini introduction: if you had to tweet a description of yourself in 140 characters or less, what would you say?

I look like an extra from CARRY ON SCREAMING!.

Congratulations on releasing your second book! Was the process easier this time around compared to Mirror and Goliath? What has the reception been like for both books so far?

I am far more relaxed this time (to the point of sedation) about the entire process and no way near as nervous. I try not to read the reviews anymore unless they are pointed out to me or sent to me, which is probably a good thing as it would be a massive distraction. There have been some really lovely reviews and comments about both books, which I am so happy about.

There are several new characters in this book. Who was your favourite new character to write?

My favourite new characters to write were Queen Victoria & Zedock – they are both really evil and I loved writing their scenes. The baddies always have the best lines.

I love the mad Mr. Loveheart! At what point in the book planning did he appear? Did you always intend for him to be the anchoring character in your series?

He was initially going to be a minor character who got eaten by a tiger but as I was writing him I realised rather quickly he was the lead and now he’s my favourite character.

Why did you choose butterflies? What’s the symbolism behind them?

I was researching Aztec mythology, fairy tale metamorphoses and symbolism- each of my books has an insect theme. I came across a reference in Aztec mythology that butterflies were the reincarnated souls of warriors and the idea developed from there.

In both of your novels, your female protagonist starts off as a little girl and, as the story progresses, grows up. Do you think it’s easier to start off a fairy tale with a child-like protagonist?

Yes, it is easier because I can shape them as they develop and then change them. Both Mirror and Boo Boo go through dramatic transformations and in Boo Boo’s case a hybrid metamorphosis.

Who or what are some of your influences/inspirations?

I am strongly influenced by folklore, fairy tale and mythology. My aspirations are to continue to write fairy tale inspired novels, and I would love to write for film and television.

Do you have a favourite quotation, either from your own work or from someone else?

I am going to pick one of Rufus Hazard’s – “Unspeakable bad manners leaving a man with his head in a bowl of trifle.”

When you’re writing, do you have any weird/interesting habits? Do you listen to music or do you need absolute silence?

Yes I need to be alone and with headphones on listening to music and blocking out the outside world. I like to write in the mornings with plenty of strong coffee.

If you could have tea (and a Victoria Sponge!) with any author, alive or dead, who would it be and why? What would you talk about?

I am going to pick Caitlin Moran because I read her book How to Build a Girl, which I thought was brilliant. We’d talk about her work and eat a lot of cake.

[Sam’s side note: I briefly met Caitlin Moran last fall and she was delightful. How to Build a Girl was a great novel!]

What’s next/what are you working on?

I am currently writing a book on the Scottish witch trials, which is part fairy tale and part historical research, and then the fifth book in the Loveheart series.

If your books were being adapted for the screen, who would you choose to play Mr. Loveheart? Do you have a dream cast for any of the other characters?

Loveheart is a really difficult one to cast. I think he might be best played by a newly discovered talent. The rest of the cast are much easier to cherry pick from my favourite actors.

Dream casting:
Mr Fingers – Alan Cumming
Zedock Heap – Gary Oldman
Goliath – Idris Elba
Queen Victoria – Sigourney Weaver
Rufus Hazard – Matt Berry
Aunt Eva – Tilda Swinton
Professor Hummingbird – John Malkovich

[Sam’s side note: I’m crying at the thought of Alan Cumming and Gary Oldman as those characters. It would be AMAZING.]

What book(s) are you reading now?

I am currently reading The House by the Churchyard by Sheridan Le Fanu.

Like something straight out of a fairy-tale, you’ve turned into an animal for a day. What animal would you be and why?

A dragon – it would have to be a creature that could fly and as a dragon I could eat a few nasty people as well.

If you could travel anywhere in the (real) world, where would you go? What fictional world would you want to visit?

In the real world I would love to visit Iceland.
In the fictional world I would jump into my own Victorian London and visit Mr Loveheart.

Quick pick: sweet or sour?

SWEET, of course!

Thanks for the interview! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Thank you so much for a wonderful interview. I really enjoyed it xxx

About the author:

Ishbelle Bee writes horror and loves fairy-tales, the Victorian period (especially top hats!) and cake tents at village fêtes (she believes serial killers usually opt for the Victoria Sponge).

She currently lives in Edinburgh. She doesn’t own a rescue cat, but if she did his name would be Mr Pickles.

You can follow her on Twitter or Goodreads, and check out her website with her Quentin Blake-esque character sketches!

ARC Review: The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl

The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl – Ishbelle Bee

Two orphans, Pedrock and Boo Boo, are sent to live in the sinister village of Darkwound. There they meet and befriend the magical and dangerous Mr Loveheart and his neighbour Professor Hummingbird, a recluse who collects rare butterflies. Little do they know that Professor Hummingbird has attracted the wrath of a demon named Mr Angel-Cakes.

One night, Mr Angel-Cakes visits Boo Boo and carves a butterfly onto her back. Boo Boo starts to metamorphose into a butterfly/human hybrid, and is kidnapped by Professor Hummingbird. When Mr Loveheart attempts to rescue her with the aid of Detective White and Constable Walnut, they are turned into butterflies.

Caught between Professor Hummingbird and the demon Angel-Cakes, Loveheart finds himself entangled in a web much wider and darker than he could have imagined, and a plot that leads him right to the Prime Minister and Queen Victoria herself . . .

Release Date: August 4th, 2015

Thanks to Penny at Angry Robot for reaching out to me about reading/reviewing this book! My interview with author Ishbelle Bee will be posted next week – keep an eye out!

Update: you can now read my interview here!

I read Bee’s first book featuring Loveheart, The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath in April and loved it, so I’m very glad I got a chance to read this “sequel”.

What I liked:

-the cover. LOOK AT IT. IT’S BEAUTIFUL. I cannot even deal with this cover, it’s so gorgeous (I had the same reaction to Mirror and Goliath – someone at Angry Robot is doing a fantastic job).

-the writing continues to have a lovely lyrical quality to it, even when she’s writing descriptions of a massacre.

I especially liked the pages that were full of CAPITALS and wonky-sized/boldfaced words. It broke up the page without completely taking your attention away from the story and gave the whole thing a fairy-tale feeling (fairy-tales more in the vein of the Brothers Grimm and less like Disney).

-Loveheart continues to be mad and unnecessarily violent and I continue to love his scenes. I mentioned last time that it feels weird to be rooting for a man who chops the head off of anyone who he thinks deserves it, but he does it in such a carefree way, you can’t help snickering.

-Boo Boo was the anti-hero(ine) I didn’t know I needed. On the one hand, she is technically the heroine of the piece, but since she becomes just as deadly as Loveheart, she doesn’t fit into a traditional role. I liked how, even though she didn’t talk a lot, she had her own dangerous abilities and talents, instead of being completely powerless.

-the Butterfly Club (and its leader) was creepy and horrible and was exactly what you would expect from a Neil Gaiman-esque story like this.

What I didn’t like:

-I know this contradicts what I said I liked about Loveheart, but sometimes it felt like there was a little too much violence.

I’m not opposed to violence (fictional violence, of course, I don’t condone actual violence), I just mean that when someone’s limbs are being cut off in every other paragraph of a single chapter, it can be a little overwhelming.

Overall, while I loved getting a chance to get into Loveheart’s head again, I didn’t love it as much as I loved the first one. Still a solid four interrobangs, though, and I’ll be following Ishbelle Bee closely now.

Rating:

ARC Reviews – April 2015

Since joining NetGalley in late March, I’ve read four ARCs – here is a round-up of my reviews! (please click the title for the full review)

• Spelled – Betsy Schow: “I love fractured/retellings of fairy tales so I was pretty stoked when my request for this was approved.” (3.5 interrobangs)
• The Rise and Fall of the Gallivanters – M.J. Beaufrand: “I liked the fact that they were in a punk band. These are my people (well, these are the people I wish were my people), and I’ve always loved stories where one or more characters are in a band.” (3.5 interrobangs)
• Fairy Keeper – Amy Bearce: “[F]airy keepers…have this great fairy-wing shaped marks on their neck, which is very cool, but it’s also interesting that not everyone had control over magical creatures – just a select few.” (4 interrobangs)
• The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee: “[T]he writing…had a whimsical, Neil Gaiman-esque quality (and since I worship Neil Gaiman, this is very high praise).” (4.5 interrobangs)
• Mad Miss Mimic – Sarah Henstra: “I loved this book!! I was obsessed with the title/cover before I started it, and I devoured the whole thing…If you like spunky Victorian heroines (which I do), I highly recommend this one.” (5 interrobangs)

Fiction Friday Round-Up – April 24th, 2015

This week, I finished the third book in a series, a whimsical fairy-tale ARC, and a controversial award-winner. Click the titles for a full review!

• A Red Herring Without Mustard – Alan Bradley: “Oh, Flavia. You never cease to amuse me.”
• The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee: “[T]he writing…had a whimsical, Neil Gaiman-esque quality (and since I worship Neil Gaiman, this is very high praise).”
• When Everything Feels Like the Movies – Raziel Reid: “I honestly don’t know if this book is making as big a buzz in the rest of the world as it is here in Canada, but it’s been one of THOSE books – the ones that make people stop and notice YA without being dismissive.”

What have you read recently? Let me know in the comments!

And until next week – happy reading!

ARC Review: The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee

The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee

1888. A little girl called Mirror and her shape-shifting guardian Goliath Honeyflower are washed up on the shores of Victorian England. Something has been wrong with Mirror since the day her grandfather locked her inside a mysterious clock that was painted all over with ladybirds. Mirror does not know what she is, but she knows she is no longer human.
John Loveheart, meanwhile, was not born wicked. But after the sinister death of his parents, he was taken by Mr Fingers, the demon lord of the underworld. Some say he is mad. John would be inclined to agree.
Now Mr Fingers is determined to find the little girl called Mirror, whose flesh he intends to eat, and whose soul is the key to his eternal reign. And John Loveheart has been called by his otherworldly father to help him track Mirror down…

Release Date: June 2nd, 2015

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Before I tell you what I liked/didn’t like, can we all take a moment to appreciate that cover?? It’s gorgeous. I think I’ve fallen in love with a book cover. No…I know I’ve fallen in love with a book cover.

What I liked:

-the writing. It had a whimsical, Neil Gaiman-esque quality (and since I worship Neil Gaiman, this is very high praise). There were moments that would have been confusing if it had been presented by a less-skilled writer, but in Ishbelle Bee’s hands, you just sort of accepted it. Lovely, somewhat lyrical, the writing was wonderful.

-Mr. Loveheart. He is clearly “mad as a hatter” (I kept picturing him as the Mad Hatter too, except with hearts on his clothes), but his back story was intriguing and I found myself looking forward to his scenes, even the brutally violent ones.

-speaking of violent scenes: it was almost comical how blithely Mr. Loveheart went around slicing people to pieces. I realize this makes me sound like a terrible person,but it was so off-handed and Mr. Loveheart was so convinced he was doing the right thing, I couldn’t help but find it both horrifying and funny.

-the setting. Victorian England is awesome, isn’t it? I’m fascinated by that time period, so of course, the setting worked for me!

-Mirror and Goliath. While I eventually had issues with their storyline (see next section for what I didn’t like), I loved how cute their relationship was at the beginning: Mirror is so small and almost fragile, while Goliath, with his bear-like attitude is warm and protective.

-the Jack the Ripper connection which I saw coming about halfway through, but still liked how it played out.

What I didn’t like:

-Pomegranate’s section. I loved the story she was telling (I’ve always liked the Persephone myth), but it seemed to come out of the blue and distracted me from the main story. I could see why she was introduced, and I respect the decision to keep her in there, but she was distracting and by the time I was done her part, I had almost forgotten what the main plot was.

That being said, I’d probably read an entire novella about Pomegranate and her aunt Eva.

-Mirror and Goliath. I know I just said I liked their relationship at the beginning of the book, but I don’t love how it ended (though, again, I respect that Ishbelle Bee wanted them to go down this road).

HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILER (and please excuse my poor formatting, one day I’ll figure out how to hide spoilers properly)

As soon as Mirror ages, I knew – as well as she did – that her relationship with Goliath would become more “romantic”. What I want to know is: did she age mentally as well as physically? Or does she have a six year old’s mentality and a young woman’s body?? Either way, it’s a little weird.

Apart from those two issues, I really enjoyed this book! It was fun and magical and beautifully written. According to Goodreads, there is a second book coming out later this year, and I definitely want to read it.

Also, who are we kidding, I’m going to buy myself a physical copy of Mirror & Goliath because it’s just too pretty to not have on my shelf!

Rating:

4.5 interrobangs

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent To-Be-Read Additions

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

I’ve only (relatively recently) started following other book blogs, and one thing I noticed were their Top Ten Tuesday lists. And since I like making lists, I was all “HEY, I WANNA DO THAT TOO”, so here is my first TTT list!

This week’s topic is Ten Books I Recently Added to My To-Be-Read List. I don’t own any of these books (some of them have not yet been published!), but they’re on my list of “books to buy when they come out/when I have the money”. I have an Excel document full of such books, but it’s not properly organized (which only serves to give me a headache), and every so often I add books to it and then promptly forget what they’re about so I had to look up at some of these recent additions.

In no particular order:

1) Calvin – Martine Leavitt

I saw this book and gasped and then almost cried, and I need it. I love Calvin and Hobbes, and I’m surprised no one has done something like this before.

2) Imaginary Fred – Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Okay, fine, this is a picture book so it will take me all of five minutes to read it, but guys!! I’ve been reading Eoin Colfer books since I was 11 (I’ve read almost everything he’s written), and I really like Oliver Jeffers’ artwork, so this is an intriguing combination.

3) A Darker Shade of Magic – V.E. Schwab

I’ve been hearing a lot about this one, and I love the cover. Also, parallel Londons?! Sign me up!

4) The Imaginary – A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Emily Gravett

Emily Gravett is another illustrator I really like, and this book looks creepy and amazing.

5) Strictly No Elephants – Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

As soon as I saw this title, I immediately thought of the classic (well, classic in my house) picture book, But No Elephants by Jerry Smath. Plus, I really liked Lisa Mantchev’s YA trilogy (The Théâtre Illuminata), so I’m willing to give this a shot.

6) The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee

The cover is incredible. The synopsis is incredible. I anticipate this being incredible.

7) Touch – Natalia Jaster

There’s nothing like a good mythology/fairy-tale retelling. And it’s considered “mature YA”, so you know it will be scandalous!

8) Enchanted – Alethea Kontis

I do not recall writing this one down, but it looks like another fairy-tale retelling, so that’s probably why I put it on my list. I like the cover girl’s dress.

9) The Last of the Spirits – Chris Priestly

I genuinely don’t remember reading the synopsis for this before, but holy smokes, it looks good. It has a little bit of a Tim Burton vibe going on and that’s enough to sell it for me.

10) Amplified – Tara Kelly

If there’s one thing I like almost as much as fractured fairy-tales, it’s stories about music (Audrey, Wait!, anyone?). This looks like a fun adventure that I can totally get behind.