So just like everything else with my posts for the past few months I have procrastinated a lot. So here is a whole half a year’s worth of books I’ve gotten (whoops)! I have linked each title to it’s Goodreads page in case you want more info and I’ve included my own full reviews if they apply as well!
It’s finally time! Time for my best books of 2018 post! Honestly these are some of my favorite posts to do and read since it’s like one giant wrap up for the entire year! These books will be all of the ones I’ve rated 4 stars or higher, I didn’t include anything with 3 or 3.5 stars but if you’d like to see those books as well in a separate post let me know in the comments down below!
I will include links to my full reviews for each title, unless I didn’t get to it yet in which case I won’t!
Now prepare for a long post!
I feel so freaking accomplished! Overall I had a fantastic month with both blogging and reading and I’m pretty proud of myself. I read 9 full books and did a whole lot more posts than I usually do and actually kept on top of things pretty well. I’m not going to get my hopes up too much for August but hopefully I’ll do well this coming month too!
I actually think about this a lot, there are books out there that I rated and reviewed that I just don’t agree with anymore. Sometimes it just takes more time for me to mull over my thoughts. Some books I think deserve a higher rating now and some a lower rating, whether I’ll actually change them or not we’ll see! I also always feel like I should re-write my old reviews too, so cringey!
So I decided to join the Beat the Backlist challenge this year as I have SO many books I need to read that I own! My goal for this year is 60 books on my backlist TBR and hopefully I’ll get through more than that as well.
There are a couple 2017 releases on here but MOST of these were released even earlier than that, as I said I want to get through my older books. Here are the books I’m hoping to read!
You can sign up for 2018 Beat the Backlist here.
Did you sign up for the Beat the Backlist challenge this year?
What are some of the books you’re hoping to read?
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Let me know in the comments!
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Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.
Trigger Warnings: Racism, Sexism/Misogyny, Violence, & Police Brutality
Honestly, how do I even begin to write a review for an excellent book such as this?
A brilliantly written book that is not only incredibly powerful and packs a lot of punch in just 210 pages. I can already tell that “Dear Martin” and “The Hate U Give” are going to be compared and let me just tell you: read them both. They are both excellent and both deserve to be read as they handle important issues like police brutality and racism.
Of course I’d just like to say that I, being a white woman, can’t even begin to fully understand the issues described in this book nor can I fully give my opinion on them because of that. However, I do think this book is very important and I urge you all to give it a read. That being said you should definitely check out some #OwnVoices reviews of this book and if you know of any please feel free to link them below!
Right off the bat I’d like to say that it was great to be reading from Justyce’s POV, he’s just a great character but it was also nice to read from not only a male POV but also a POC POV in YA. I also really enjoyed the sections of the story in which Justyce wrote his letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. they added so much insight into not only his character but the issues that African Americans endure every day.
While this book focuses a lot on police brutality it also focuses a lot on racism micro-agressions as well. For example throughout the course of the story Justyce is faced with white male peers constantly making racist jokes and telling him to “quit being so sensitive” about them at the same time. Many of the side characters act atrociously in this perspective throughout the story too. I will say that one of the characters makes a bit of a turn around by the end of the story, which was nice to see.
One other thing that I mentioned in the trigger warnings was sexism and misogyny which we do see a bit of in this story and while it’s challenged I don’t think it was challenged enough. At one point during the story Justyce’s best friend, Manny, states that he isn’t interested in black girls because they’re “ghetto and full of attitude” and Justyce doesn’t want to date the girl he’s interested in because she’s white and his mother would not approve.
Aside from the plot the pacing is very fast and the writing is excellent, it’s easy to breeze through this one! I’ll also be looking forward to anything Nic Stone will be writing in the future as well!
Also my only real complaint is that it wasn’t longer!
I really enjoyed Justyce’s character as well as his friend Manny, his love interest SJ, and their debate teacher whom they refer to as Doc. I thought they were all great characters and good people on top of that. I have to say though SJ, honestly, was my favorite I loved how fiesty and intelligent she was every time she would speak up about the racist and unintelligent remarks made by some of their classmates. I wish there would have been more development for a lot of the characters but with such a short novel that can’t really be helped.
As for some of the other characters such as Justyce’s peers, whom I don’t remember all of their names because they were horrible people, I loathed them. They were so blatantly ignorant and racist it was ridiculous and got to the point where I thought to myself “Do people actually talk this way?!” to which the answer is yes there are horrible people out there that do talk, think, and act like the people in this story.
There was a bit of romance in “Dear Martin” and sometimes I felt it became too much of a focus in the plot and a little….overly dramatic. There’s a love triangle between Justyce, his on again, off again girlfriend Melo, and his friend SJ. Melo is clearly not a great girlfriend and manipulates Justyce whereas SJ is clearly perfect for him, so of course I spent the entire book rooting for Justyce x SJ! I really loved their relationship. So overall I did like the romance but like I said it got to be a little “too much” at times.
Overall thoughts: a fantastic book that my review simply cannot do justice (pun, unintentional!).
What I Loved:
What I Didn’t Love:
I cannot recommend “Dear Martin” enough, it is an extremely important and powerful novel. I also recommend checking out “The Hate U Give” as well if you have already read this one and loved it!
Links: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository / Barnes & Noble
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This was “created” by Lost in a Story!
The Rules:
Current TBR: 774
**** For some reason I skipped a book last week! But I’m back on track this week.****
Book #120
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
I don’t know if I’ll ever actually get around to reading this but I’ll keep it for now since I own it. Plus I really loved “The Shining”!
The Judgement: Keep
Book #121
The Gift by James Patterson
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
I did enjoy “Witch and Wizard” when I read it AGES ago but I don’t really think I want to continue with the series anymore.
The Judgement: Go
Book #122
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
Once again I read this series a while ago and enjoyed it but I don’t think I’ll ever continue with it.
The Judgement: Go
Book #123
School’s Out Forever by James Patterson
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
Again, read a while ago. Don’t want to continue with the series.
The Judgement: Go
Book #124
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
Are you guys seeing a pattern here in this patch of my TBR? Series I started and won’t be finishing because I just didn’t really think “Divergent” was that great.
The Judgement: Go
Book #125
The Name of Stars by Maureen Johnson
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
A sort of retelling of Jack the Ripper including a girl who can essentially see ghosts, at least that’s what it sounds like! It sounds interesting and I own a copy so I’d like to see if it’s any good.
The Judgement: Keep
Book #126
Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
I love Star Wars and I love zombies but I just don’t know about this one anymore. Maybe I’ll read it eventually or maybe not but for now meh.
The Judgement: Go
Book #127
I, Iago by Nicole Galland
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
I freaking love “Othello” it is by far my favorite Shakespeare play and Iago is one of my absolute favorite villains. So of course I’d love to read anything related to the play!
The Judgement: Keep
Book #128
Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
I really love the Assassin’s Creed games especially the Ezio ones and so I kind of wanted the book but I just don’t think I’ll read it. I’d rather go play the game!
The Judgement: Go
Book #129
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Date Added: July 29th, 2015
I tried reading this a really long time ago and just wasn’t very intrigued by it, I just don’t think Holly Black’s writing is for me. Although I will be trying “The Cruel Prince” because the hype is ridiculous.
The Judgement: Go
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Do you think I should have kept any of these books?
Do you agree with any of my keeps or discards?
Let me know in the comments!
Again, one HUGE thank you to all of my followers, and to those of you who commented or left a question!
Debby @ Always Booking, Asked:
Coffee or Tea?
Tea, I love tea and drink it pretty much daily. I really want to be a coffee person but I just don’t like the taste as much.
Theo @ Reading and Rambling, Asked:
What’s your absolute least favorite character you have EVER read?
Trust me there are definitely quite a few and it’s hard to pick between them for the absolute worst! I’m probably going to have to go with Zoe Redbird from the House of Night series, she was like Bella Swan but waaaay worse. It was constant stupid decisions!
Meghan @ Meghan’s Whimsical Explorations & Reviews, Asked:
What helped inspire you to create your blog name?
So my friends are constantly teasing me for being “sassy” all the time, mostly it’s my tone when I’m being sarcastic (which is kind of a lot) so that’s why I went with the Sassy part of my blog name. Then of course I love books and I fully embrace my geekiness (with all things from movies to video games) so Book Geek!
Lilly @ Lair of Books, Asked:
Which new to you 2017 debut author are you most interested in following into 2018?
There were SO many but I’m gonna have to go with Angie Thomas, her book “The Hate U Give” was perfection and her writing is amazing. Super excited for her book this year “On the Come Up”!
Kayla @ Kayla’s Book Nook, Asked:
Have you ever taken the Myers Briggs personality test? If so, what was your result?
Yes, I am INFJ.
What is your Hogwarts house and do you own any merchandise pertaining to it?
Ravenclaw and I do have a shirt but I’m definitely wanting to get a lot more merch!
Jessica @ The Awkward Book Blogger, Asked:
If you could trade places with one character in any book, who would you trade places with?
Definitely Eowyn from “The Lord of the Rings” because she is a badass!
What is your favorite bookish item that you own (bookish shirts, mugs, prints, jewelry, etc.)?
Probably my canvas print of the Marauder’s Map that I have hanging on my wall, it’s gorgeous and of course I want to fill my space with Harry Potter related items…
What is one skill you’d like to learn (fictional or real life)?
Sword-fighting, more on the fictional side of things though.
Aria @ Snow White Hates Apples, Asked:
What’s your most favorite and least favorite literary trope?
Favorite: Forbidden Romance
Least Favorite: Insta-love (it’s just so unrealistic, I like a slow burn romance!)
Kristin @ Kristin Kraves Books, Asked:
Who would you want to write your autobiography?
Jay Kristoff, he’s my favorite author, and his writing is gorgeous. Also I feel like he could really embellish my autobiography….by adding swords and thunder tigers…..
Jess @ Beaucoupbooks, Asked:
Any advice for newbie bloggers?
I feel like I always give the same advice but it’s because it’s the best advice I feel I can give. So newbie bloggers: do not be afraid to interact with other bloggers! If they have 5 followers or 5,000 followers we all love chatting with each other so go for it!
And what was your favorite read of 2017?
Probably “Red Rising” by Pierce Brown, it had everything I love in a book!
Kelly @ Just Another Book in the Wall, Asked:
What made you decide to start blogging?
Well back in 2015 I finally joined Goodreads and while I was reading reviews and searching for new books I discovered book bloggers! Of course I didn’t really know much about it then but I figured what better way to express my love of books than to start my own? Plus I actually get to talk about them now, as I don’t really have any IRL family or friends that read.
And, who is your current favorite book blogger?
Destiny @ Howling Libraries, she’s not only super sweet and supportive but I’m always looking forward to her reviews and posts!
Orangutan Librarian, Asked:
Which book world would you most like to live in?
Hands down Middle Earth! I’d get all the adventure but also be relatively safe too, haha!
Misty @ Misty’s Book Space, Asked:
What was you favorite and least favorite read of 2017?
Favorite: Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Least Favorite: The Devils You Know by M.C. Atwood
What book are you most looking forward to reading in 2018?
I have to say I’m most looking forward reading “The Cruel Prince” since it is super hyped and everyone seems to love it!
Anna @ My Bookish Dream, Asked:
-Which fantasy world would you love to live in? What would you like to do there?
Middle Earth, for sure! As far as what I would do there…hmmm. I’d probably act like a tourist to be honest going and seeing the Shire, Edoras, and Minas Tirith. Also I would probably hunt down Legolas and cling to him.
-And which one would you definitely stay away from? Why?
Probably the world of “An Ember in the Ashes” because it is extremely brutal and I would more than likely not survive whatsoever!
Amanda @ Metal Phantasm Reads, Asked:
What’s a movie or music album you’re looking forward to this year?
I’m not really big into music albums but as for movies I’m probably most looking forward to Avengers: Infinity War!
Lucinda @ Lucinda is Reading, Asked:
What book/author never fails to make you smile?
Probably “Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh as I always find it hilarious and it really never fails in that!
Ignited Moth, Asked:
What book have you read that made you feel the widest range of emotions while reading it?
“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown, I was shocked, sad, happy, and enraged while reading that one! So many different plot twists!
Hannah @ Mortal Reader, Asked:
What was your favorite read of 2017?
“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown!
Zezee @ Zezee with Books, Asked:
What are 2 fantasy novels you’d highly recommend?
“Stormdancer” by Jay Kristoff and “An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir
Michelle @ Book Adventures, Asked:
If you ever came across the mirror of Erised what do you think it would show?
This is such a creative question Michelle! I think the Mirror of Erised would show me happily in love and sitting, reading inside of a giant home library.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
So these are all actually books I have on my 2018 Beat the Backlist TBR (which has yet to be posted) so I am bound and determined to ACTUALLY read them this year! They deserve it!
These are in no particular order.
10.) Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
I absolutely LOVED “The Darkest Corners” it was such a dark, twisted mystery/thriller especially for YA, there were times when I forgot I was even reading YA! After an amazing debut like that I want to read all of her books and this one is no exception, I just really need to get my butt into gear!
9.) The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
I KNOW I NEED TO READ THIS SO VERY BADLY! I am ashamed of myself for not having read this yet! It’s pretty much a must read for fantasy fans and I am one, therefore I must read this. This is the year!
8.) Because You Love To Hate Me by Various Authors
I am all for tales from the villain’s POV which all of these are, plus I like a good collection of short stories! I have heard mixed things about this one but I’m still excited to read it! I am so terrible, I’ve been meaning to read this for months. Literally.
7.) Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I bought this right when it released and still haven’t read it. Why am I like this? I love Laini’s writing and I need to get lost in her newest fantasy creation! Soon, my friends, soon.
6.) A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
I do have a sort of excuse for this one but also not really because I own both this and “A Conjuring of Light”. I feel like I need to read this at exactly the right moment because I do not want to start reading and not be ready or have time to be fully immersed in this one, it deserves my attention 100%!
5.) The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst
I’ve hear tons of good things about this book and I got it a while ago for Christmas so honestly I have no excuses for myself since I own it! It sounds super good and I love a good fantasy with interesting world building!
4.) The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
I finally got the complete box set of the whole series so I am fully prepared to re-enter the Percy Jackson world. Now I just need to get to reading it…..
3.) Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
I borrowed this from the library, didn’t finish it, brought it back, bought a cheap copy on Book Outlet, and then proceeded to still not read it. I love pirates, I want to read all the pirate books, so I am FINALLY going to read it this year!
2.) Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Okay this book comes highly recommended by a ton of people and I’ve started it and stopped a couple of times just because I had other things to read. But this year I’m finally going to finish it, maybe during the summer since it gives off that vibe with the cover.
1.) Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios
This is a book about an abusive relationship and while that may be hard to read through I think it’s going to be a very honest and important book about abusive relationships. I’m really excited to finally read it plus I think the cover is stunning.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
Did you mean to get to any of these last year as well?
Are you planning on reading any of them this year?
What were some of YOUR books you meant to get to in 2017 and didn’t?
Let me know in the comments!
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