Autumn 2017 Wrap Up! (And August...)

It's been a few months since Ellie and I have posted on this lovely website, and that's because we've had a lot of changes in our lives since August. Both of us have started college and are successfully following our own endeavors, but staying as close as ever!

For the time being, we have decided to do seasonal wrap ups instead of monthly. This so that we can at least get into a (somewhat) regular routine, but also let you all know the books that we have been enjoying! Hopefully, sometime soon, we will be able to transition back into monthly wrap ups and weekly posts! We hope that you will stay with us as we work to become more involved in this blog with all the changes that are happening around us. But for now, here is our autumnal (and August . . . sorry, August, we really screwed that one up) wrap up!

Annalise:

In Fall (and August) I read a total of 10 books. It was a bit of a slow season for me, since so many other things have been keeping me busy, but I hope my extensive winter break will allow me to catch up on all the wonderful books I have missed out on recently!

In August, I read: Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch, and Writing Beyond Race by bell hooks.

In September, I read: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, And I Darken by Kiersten White, and Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum.

In October, I read: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, and There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins.

In November, probably the saddest reading month I've had in a long time, I read Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

Howl and Other Poems: Allen Ginsberg's head is a fascinating place to be. A collection of heart wrenching and lyrical poems, this is a break from your average love-filled line, Ginsberg's account of so many social situations is a really great thing to be familiar with. A perfectly complied short collection that needs to be considered by everyone who loves to read. I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars.

Love & Gelato: I chose this book as my travel choice for when I went to Florence, Italy this summer with my family. An adorable story with lovely characters set in a city of the Arts, Jenna Evans Welch did an excellent job stringing together a charming story that wasn't overtly cheesy. I highly suggest this book as a cute palate cleanser after a heavy read, or when you just need a bit of a hug. I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars.

Writing Beyond Race: Chosen as my college's summer reading selection, this collection of essays is powerful in every aspect. It is a heavy read, very intellectually intense and academic, but something that I think everyone should read. Discussion topics of feminism and the patriarchy, race and discrimination, and our society as we know it, hooks' words mark a voice of her generation. While it wasn't particularly fun to read, Hooks doesn't hold back, and that's what makes this essay collection so incredibly important for us to read. I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars.

All the Light We Cannot See: This book took me awhile to read, and while I loved it, I just wasn't in the mood to read a historical fiction when I started it. However, I did enjoy it's premise, and Doerr's writing is incredibly beautiful. It is a stunning book, every aspect of it was as well done as it could've been. I hope to read it again soon, and until then, I will recommend it to everyone I meet. It's a beautiful novel, and I highly suggest. I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars.

And I Darken: I was slightly disappointed by this read, not going to lie. I really went into it blindly, the only markers where the hand-selected reviews on the back of the book, so I guess, in all relativity, I wasn't that upset by it, just underwhelmed. I had really wanted an awesome fantasy series to follow up my Sarah J. Maas kick back in late June/July, but this was the wrong choice for me. It was slow, Lada, one of the main characters (she is advertised as the protagonist, but she really splits it with her brother, Radu), was just hard to empathize with. She was strong, and for that I commend White for following a suit of other feminist trends that are happily beginning to bloom in YA, but there was something too un-relatable. Radu I loved, I thought he was sweet (White, in a way, switched their gender roles), and fascinating. It is set in the 1400's Ottoman Empire, and while it is a play on Vlad the Impaler, it takes many liberties that really make it more fantastical than historical, the author does, however, address this in her note. For me it was just too slow, and there was really no peak point where I was like "YES! This is what I came for!". At the end of the book, I felt no desire to continue onto the sequel, even though it doesn't wrap up in a pretty little bow. I think that White is a talented writer and an excellent character builder, but this book was just not my favorite. I gave this book a 2.75/5.

Tell Me Three Things: I absolutely adored this book. Another YA romance that was just the perfect amount of warmth, this book had been on my TBR for way too long before I actually picked it up. It was perfectly written, quick-paced, and nothing dragged on for too long. There was a perfect balance of tension and reveal, and Buxbaum didn't try to outsmart you. The end was perfect, and the character progression in this story is just lovely to get involved in. I highly recommend this story as a light, uplifting tale for anyone who just needs a bit of fun. I will definitely be reading more of Buxbaum in the future. I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars.

And Then There Were None: My first Agatha Christie book, and definitely not my last, this book was a perfect October read that really got me into the spooky mood. If you haven't read any of Christie's novels, I highly suggest, especially since "Murder on the Orient Express" just came out in theaters! I was hooked from the beginning and felt so engrossed in the story, I never wanted to leave. Christie's writing is perfect and quick, it keeps the story moving just as much as the plot and characters do. Her arcs are incomprehensibly clever and her murderous details are hard to beat. There is nothing better than being absorbed into a great mystery novel, and I have been lucky enough to incapsulate myself in a few this year already. This one, however, definitely takes the top of my list. It was perfectly presented and honestly stunning. If you want to get into mystery or just Agatha Christie specifically, please pick this up, it won't disappoint! I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

The Complete Persepolis: This graphic novel is too good to fit into a few sentences of review. I read this for my Arts and Social Justice course and absolutely fell in love. Marjane Satrapi is not only a talented artist, but a exemplary author. She describes Iran through the most beautiful language, and tells her coming-of-age story in such a unique way, there wasn't a single person in my class who disliked it. I have already written an entire analytical essay on this novel, and would still go back and read it a hundred times. A stunning and heartbreaking journey, but one that we should all take, Satrapi's graphic novel is worth every penny. I gave this book a 5/5 stars.

There's Someone Inside Your House: I have been a fan of Stephanie Perkins since her short story in her winter YA story compilation, following through to Anna and the French Kiss. But this, to me, wasn't my favorite story of hers. No doubt that Perkins has is an artist when it comes to literature, and as talented as they come in the YA romance department, but it just lacked what I was looking for. I did a review in full here if you want to check it out! I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars.

Cat's Cradle: This is the first Vonnegut novel that I have ever read and I was highly impressed. Another novel I read for my Arts and Social Justice course, this book was really relevant, especially in today's day and age. While it is satirical, and could be incredibly offensive to some people, I was lucky enough to find it amusing and fascinating. I think that this is a great first Vonnegut novel because it moves quick and keeps you hooked. His writing and snappy and to the point, but also incredibly beautiful. For anyone who wishes to get into Vonnegut's works, I highly suggest this as a starting point. I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

Ellie:

We are so sorry to have neglected book chats for so long! (Also, I may be forgetting books I read, sorry in advance!)

I read a grand total of 9 books in autumn (and August).

Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook: This collection of poetry was presented in a way I had never seen before: and unsurprisingly, I loved it! Alicia wrote poems while listening to around 90 songs, and then "flipped the tape over" (you will understand if you google the cover, I promise) and used the idea of blackout poetry to make new poems that coincided with new songs. It was a genius way to make a beautiful collection of around 180 poems, and I highly recommend this work to anyone who is looking for a longer collection of poetry! 3.5/5 stars!

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han: You. Guys. This book is the most beautiful conclusion to a trilogy I've read in a long time. This series flawlessly explains the life of Lara Jean, and her romances and family problems that make her seem so real. Jenny Han is such a talented writer, and I wish she had continued to write about Lara Jean. Please please please please read this trilogy if you are looking for a teen romance novel that has depth! 5/5 stars!

Becoming by Renaada Williams: This work was, I believe, self-published. It was very Milk and Honey -esque, but was shorter than I expected. It did focus a lot on the Black Lives Matter movement, which was unexpected but really eye-opening to read about. The poems in this short work packed a punch, and there are some I have written over and over again to try and grasp their beauty. 4/5 stars, and I hope Renaada writes more!

That Part was True by Deborah McKinlay: This book made me think of 84 Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff, as the two characters communicated back and forth through letters. This novel; however, did have other plot points besides the letters-it was not just written in letter format, is what I mean. The two characters were so beautifully created, and it killed me that I did not love this book. The synopsis was so inviting, and I was so excited to read this book, but it sadly did not live up to my expectations. Still good, just not what I was expecting! 2.5/5 stars!

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan: WOW WOW WOW. This book is everything to me now. David Levithan is one of my favorite authors to begin with, but this book stands out from the rest. Written like a dictionary, words tell us all about this relationship, and trust me when I say that it is one of the best books I've ever read. Do yourself a favor and read it!!!! 4.5/5 stars!

The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood: This book confused me. A lot. The main character, Gottie, experiences....time travel, essentially? These loophole, black hole, hole in the earth-esque things show up, and she learns as much as she can about them, all while falling in love. I was confused, so I am sure that this is not making sense. The book was very interesting, and I'm sure that if I understood more science, it would have made more sense! 2/5 stars.

Sunburn by Laura Lippman: This was another book that confused me. But in a much better way than The Square Root of Summer. These characters all had such deep secrets that impacted everything they did, and it all came to fruition in an ending that was so unexpected but so well done. I would have loved another 300 pages about what happened after, but alas, we can only hope for these things! I was constantly intrigued and trying to guess what would happen next, what the next twist would be. And, this is something that I love, I was always wrong. This book is so unpredictable, which made it all the more interesting! 3/5 stars!

Something Blue by Emily Griffin: The sequel to Something Borrowed, this book follows the best friend, Darcy, of the main character in Something Borrowed. It shows Darcy's perspectives on everything, shows all of the ins and outs of the aftermath of the first book, and shows that sometimes, moving to London is the best solution to any problem. Books by Emily Griffin are romances with twists, which makes them so interesting and enthralling. 3/5 stars (I don't love Darcy as a character).

And a re-read for Thanksgiving: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling: Do I even need to explain? It's Harry Potter. If you haven't read it, please take a visit to Earth and pick up a copy? It will change your life. 10/5 stars.

Thank you all for being patient with us! We'll be back and posting more soon, I promise!

#MonthlyWrapUp