Notable Quotable: Becky Albertalli (#216)

"Sometimes it seems like everyone knows who I am except me."
     --Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Notable Quotable: Sarah J. Maas (#215)

"There was no way in hell she was going to move to the southern continent without all of her books."
     --The Assassin's Blade

Notable Quotable: Charlotte Bronte (#214)

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."
     --Jane Eyre

Notable Quotable: Leigh Bardugo (#213)

"Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return."
     --Crooked Kingdom

Notable Quotable: Anna Kendrick (#212)

"Having to fight for the thing you want doesn't mean you deserve it any less."
     --Scrappy Little Nobody

Notable Quotable: Liz Brawell (#211)

"Magic comes back to you, just as the actions of people do."
     --As Old As Time

Notable Quotable: Fredrik Backman (#210)

"You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away."
     --A Man Called Ove

Notable Quotable: Leigh Bardugo (#209)

"She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him."
     --Six of Crows

Notable Quotable: Mackenzie Lee (#208)

"We are not broken things, neither of us. We are cracked pottery mended with lacquer and flakes of gold, whole as we are, complete unto each other. Complete and worthy and so very loved."
     --The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

Notable Quotable: Ashley Poston (#207)

"Never give up on your dreams, and never let anyone tell you that what you love is inconsequential or useless or a waste of time. Because if you love it? If that OTP or children's card game or abridged series or YA book or animated series make you happy? That is never a waste of time. Because in the end we're all just a bunch of weirdos standing in front of other weirdos, asking for their username."
     --Geekerella 

Third Quarter Review 2018

I saw a quarterly stats review on both Geeky Zoo Girl and Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. I really like this idea so I'm going to do my own version!

Third Quarter Books(July-September)
Total Books: 15
Paperback/hardcover: 7 (46.7%)
Audiobooks: 8 (53.3%)
Total pages: 6,067
Yearly Total Books: 54
┉┉┉
Own: 6 (40%)
Borrowed: 9 (60%)
┉┉┉
New: 14 (93.3%)
Rereads: 1 (6.7%)
┉┉┉
Male Authors: 3 (20%)
Female Authors: 12 (80%)

I had another really good reading quarter; I gave these books an average star rating of 3.9 stars. I only DNF'd one book. There were three 5 star books: Bossypants by Tina Fey, In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken, and Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant To Be by Rachel Hollis.

Genre breakdown
This quarter sci-fi and historical fiction were my top read genres. Though many of the historical fiction had elements of fantasy to them, they were manly historical. I even dropped a middle grade book into the mix.

Middle Grade: 1 (6.7%)
YA: 9 (60%)
Adult: 5 (33.3%)
┉┉┉
Contemporary: 2 (13.3%)
Fantasy/Sci-fi: 5 (33.3%)
Historical: 5 (33.3%)
Dystopian:  1 (6.7%)
Memoir: 1 (6.7%)
Nonfiction: 1 (6.7%)

Length
0-150: 0
150-250: 1 (6.7%)
250-350: 4 (26.7%)
350-500: 7 (46.6%)
>500: 3 (20%)

Reading Goals Update!
Goodreads goal: 27/25 books (ahead) - I did it! I hit my goal this quarter. Naturally, I'll continue reading through the rest of the year. Let's see how many books past my goal I read! (Goodreads counts all the books toward my goal, but I'm only counting books I physically read, which is why this count is different from my official Goodreads count.)

Finish the Series: 6/8 series (on track) - I only finished one series this quarter, but it was one that I also started this quarter so that's something. I'm feel certain that I'll complete this goal by the end of the year, maybe even surpass it.

Read it or Leave it: 3/21 books (way behind) - I don't think I've made any progress this quarter, which just goes to show you that I'm not really interested in many of the books on this list. It may just be time for me to say goodbye to some of these. I'll definitely know by the end of the year which ones I do want to keep.

Notable Quotable: Maureen Johnson (#206)

"It took a lot of women like that, a lot of women who said 'I'm not going to do what you expect me to do, because you have no idea what I'm capable of. I'm going to get dirty and use tools and live the way I want' to move the world forward."
     --The Last Little Blue Envelope

Notable Quotable: Marissa Meyer (#205)

"The first time, he had wondered why she liked books so much, and if it had anything to do with why he liked spaceships. Because they could take you somewhere far, far away."
     --Stars Above

Notable Quotable: Tricia Levenseller (#204)

"I value other traits above an affinity for torture and power over those weaker than oneself. I value brilliant minds, honest souls, and those with long endurance. I forge relationships based on trust and mutual respect, not fear and control. "
     --Daughter of the Pirate King

Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books I've Ever Read

The Top Ten Tuesday has a new home. It's hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

According to Goodreads, these are the ten largest books that I've read. I've taken the audiobooks out of this list, so it's strictly books that I've physically read and boy are these some big books!

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (850 pages) - No surprise here that my largest book is a Harry Potter book; they did get so big in the end.

2. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (838 pages) - This book took me so long to get through but dang it, I finished it and I had a party to commemorate it! Unfortunately, I did not like it nearly as much as I thought I should.

3. Winter by Marissa Meyer (827 pages) - I waited with high anticipation for this last installment and I was not disappointed. I loved reading this book so much, it was a great conclusion to a wonderful series.

4. The Broken Crown by Michelle West (764 pages) - Once upon a time, I had to read this for work and I did not enjoy it at all. I don't remember it being this long, but that may have been because I skimmed sections of it.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (759 pages) - More Harry Potter! This is one of my favorites in the series and the longer these books are, the better, right?!

6. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (745 pages) - I remember being so engrossed while reading this book and just hating the ending. It was so anticlimactic.

7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (734 pages) - Holy cow! I forgot how big this book  sort of can't believe I read something this big when I was 10!

8. Eldest by Christopher Paolini (704 pages) - This book was like nails scraping on a chalkboard for me. I read this back when I still had the compulsion to finish every book and series I started.

 

9. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (662 pages) - I enjoyed this book so much; I read it while I was living in New York and it took me a while to get through but it was the beginning of an amazing adventure.

10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (652 pages) - It's no coincidence that there are four Harry Potter books on this list. They have shaped the way I read now, so it would make sense that they top this chart.

Notable Quotable: Kasie West (#203)

"Possibilities don't hurt as much as realities. Possibilities are exciting and endless. Realities are final."
     --By Your Side

Notable Quotable: Francesca Zappia (#202)

"How can I want something so badly but become so paralyzed every time I think about taking it?"
     --Eliza and Her Monsters

Notable Quotable: V.E. Schwab (#201)

"Lila Bard knew in her bones that she was meant to be a pirate."
     --A Darker Shade of Magic

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR 2018

The Top Ten Tuesday has a new home. It's hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. Wild Card by Marie Lu - I've been waiting for this sequel since I finished Warcross and it's finally here this month (I may already be reading it.) I'm going to start this book as soon as I have my hands on it. I cannot wait to see what happens to these characters, especially after the ending of the first book. 

2. Renegades by Marissa Meyer - It's time to pick this book up. I'm pretty sure I've been avoiding this book because I'm nervous I won't love it as thoroughly as I love the Lunar Chronicles but it's time. I'm going to read it this fall before the sequel releases so I can enjoy that book too.

3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - Not going to lie, part of my motivation to read this is so I can watch the series, but aside from that this book has been on my list for ages. I'm actually currently reading it so it'll definitely get read this fall.

4. Through the Dark/The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken - I binged The Darkest Minds trilogy this summer including reading the short stories in between. I only have the last novella and the newest companion novel to read. I'm still on this train going full steam that it's nearly guaranteed that these books will be read this fall.

5. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - This is a book I should have finished ages ago. I was fortunate enough to read the first five chapters before it was released but for some reason never got around to it when it actually release. This fall it's time to pick it back up again and finish this story.

6. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green - I've been a fan of Hank Green for nearly ten years now, so it seems only fitting to give his book a read. The fact that it also sounds fantastic is an added bonus to an already great idea. I can't wait to discover this story when it comes out this month!

7. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas - So I'm way behind now on my goal to read this series this year, but there is still hope that I'll at least finish the first six books in this series. I just have to read a book a month, which seems like it could be doable. Heir of Fire is up next and so is a whole lot of action, I can't wait!

8. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - I picked this book up in a library once when I was locked out of my house with nowhere to go. I read about 50 pages before I was able to come home. For some reason, I didn't actually check the book out. (I don't have the slightest idea why.) Flash forward several years, the movie hype is real and I caved. I watched the movie before finishing the book, but it was so sweet that it just made me want to read the book that much more.

9. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - I've been waiting for the right mood to read these and now that it's fall, I'm ready to dive into this series. I think I'm going to save them for October. From what I've gathered, that seems like a really good time to read them.

10. Sadie by Courtney Summers - I've been obsessed with true crime podcasts since I listened to Serial back in 2015 and this book looks like it might encapsulate that podcast feeling into novel form really well. I'm excited to read this book and find out.

Notable Quotable: Jennifer E. Smith (#200)

"Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story."
     --Windfall

Notable Quotable: Leigh Bardugo (#199)

"I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting."
     --Crooked Kingdom

Top Ten Tuesday: Binge Worthy TV

The Top Ten Tuesday has a new home. It's hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

I've been binging some new shows recently and I just want to share them with you all!

1. Brooklyn 99 - I'm only on season 3 right now but I'm so in love with this show! I laugh out loud at least twice every episode. I love the representation in this show, and the characters are so ridiculous. I just love them so much!

2. Riverdale - I'm also currently binging this show. I'm halfway through season 2 and trying to finish before season 3 begins this fall. It's so much darker and more intense than the comic I grew up devouring.  Nonetheless, it is still so engaging. I really like the portrayal of my favorite characters and I'm on my seat wanting to know what happens next.

3. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - This show only has one season so far, but I watched it so fast. I just didn't want to stop. I love that it's centered around a woman who's taken a chance to be raw and real and extremely funny in a world that only wants her to be the perfect mother and wife. I can't wait to binge season 2.

4. Runaways - When I read the comic series in 2016 I knew that it would make a fantastic movie/tv series, but I knew the process for one had been shelved for a while. So when this popped up onto my radar, I was all over it. I watched this series over the course of a couple days only because I forced myself to slow down. I wanted to savor it and I can't tell you how much I love this show. I love these characters so so much and seeing them come to life is just brilliant.

5. The Great British Bake Off - I love to bake and watching each season of this show is just delightful. I love that the contestants are helpful to one another while still being pleasantly competitive. I also love getting knew ideas for my own bakes from them and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. AND now there's a new season on Netflix so I'm off to watch!

6. The End of the F***ing World - This is such a strange show and I watched it all in one night. And we're getting another season which is amazing because it left us on a wild cliffhanger. I'm so excited to watch what these crazy screwed up kids will do next.

7. Broadchurch - This show is so stinky binge worthy. These mystery of it all across all three seasons kept me watching endlessly. I ended up watching the entire third season on a plane home from Europe because I didn't want to wait for it to come out in the US. It was an intense flight that is for sure.

8. The Good Place - I love Kristen Bell and will watch her in most anything. This show though is near perfection. The cast of characters and the concept itself is just so tear-jerkingly hysterical I can't help but smile every time I watch and rewatch this show. Season 3 here I come!

9. Gravity Falls - Slightly absurd and totally amazing, I loved this show the first time I watched it. It was full of conspiracy theories, sparkly sweaters and summer fun. Recently, I've found myself missing it so I think it's time for a little binge rewatch.

10. Stranger Things - I don't think I need to explain why this one is so binge worthy, but I'm here to agree with everyone who was also mesmerized by the 80s and Goonies feel of this show. Oh man, do I love this show and I can't wait for season 3 either. I'm ready to see what comes next!