ashley poston – The Bookish Mutant

Zodiac Book Tag ♌️

Posted on March 26, 2021April 18, 2021 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles! Man, I’m so glad it’s spring break…

I found this tag over on Ashmita @ the fictional journal and it looked like so much fun! I’m not 100% into zodiac signs, but I do believe there’s a lot of truth to it, and plus, it’s a whole lot of fun. (And the birth chart I got a few years ago was startlingly spot-on…) This tag was created by Just Dreamland.

RULES:

Link back to the creator, Just Dreamland
Link back to the person who tagged you!
Answer all the prompts.
Use the original graphics and credit the creator
Tag at least 5 bloggers and provide links to their blogs.
Name your Zodiac sign!
Don’t forget to add #ItsAZodiacThing tag.
You can either do the zodiac book tag /the zodiac music tag or both of them. Graphics for separate tags should be given at the end.
Enjoy!

This one’s the book tag, but I definitely want to do the music tag at some point as well!

So first things first, I’m a Leo! (Barely, though…if I’d been born a day later, I’d be a Virgo, so…still feel like a Leo though)

(EDIT: I had to take some of the graphics out bc they weren’t showing up…)

What's Your Zodiac Sign? The 12 Zodiac Symbols

🌌THE ZODIAG SIGN BOOK TAG🌌

ARIES: A wild and powerful book, compelling from start to finish. Every page intoxicated your heart with incredible imagery.

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Ashley Poston is a favorite author of mine, and Among the Beasts and Briars absolutely fits the bill for this prompt – lush imagery, lovable characters and a gripping plot!

TAURUS: A heart-wrenching story of a forbidden love that could tear a family apart

Girls of Paper and Fire eBook: Ngan, Natasha: Amazon.in: Kindle Store

Lei and Wren’s romance in Girls of Paper and Fire was one of the aspects that truly shined. Book 2 was a bit of a disappointment, but I’m still willing to see what book 3 holds…

GEMINI: A book that is cheeky, quippy, and witty

The Punch by Noah Hawley, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

The Punch CRACKED ME UP. It’s such a shame that I haven’t been able to dig up any of the quotes online, because there’s plenty of witty and hilarious quotes in this one.

CANCER: A bittersweet book that spoke to your sensitive heart

Amazon.com: To Be Taught, If Fortunate eBook: Chambers, Becky: Kindle Store

I recently read To Be Taught, if Fortunate and it was such a tender and bittersweet piece of quiet sci-fi.

LEO: A book with drama, love, fancy wear, and hope

[EXCITED LEO NOISES INTENSIFY]

A mix of lush fantasy and historical fiction, The Kingdom of Back is one of my favorite of Marie Lu’s novels. I’m so glad I bought a copy!

VIRGO: A tender story of self-love, self-determination, self-discovery, perseverance, romance, friendship, and family

Amazon.com: Sparrow (9781338032581): Moon, Sarah: Books

Sparrow was a novel that resonated with me so much, with themes of outsiderness, sensitivity, and finding your people. HIGHLY recommended!

LIBRA: A book that has a remarkably refreshing and frank outlook on life. One of the realest books you’ve ever read.

Amazon.com: Fox 8: A Story (9781984818027): Saunders, George, Cardinal, Chelsea: Books

Fox 8 GUTTED me. Short and tender, but also a tragic reminder of how much humans can suck sometimes.

SCORPIO: A book with a good plot twist. A book that is psychologically thrilling and emotionally chilling, and haunted you from the first page to the last.

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

To this day, I still kind of go into shock whenever I think of the plot twist that came hurtling at us out of left field from Dare Mighty Things.

SAGITTARIUS: An adventurous, summer read

Amazon.com: Skyhunter (Skyhunter Duology, 1) (9781250221681): Lu, Marie: Books

Back at it again with more Marie Lu…

Anyway, I didn’t read Skyhunter during the summer, but it’s such a lovely adventure, and it got me through a really hard time in my life. I’ll always be grateful for this one.

CAPRICORN: A book that has everything to do with friendship

Lifel1k3 (Lifelike) - Jay Kristoff - 9781760295691 - Allen & Unwin - Australia

Even though some of the friendships in LIFEL1K3 don’t necessarily end well, they’re still so warm and tender while they last.

AQUARIUS: A quirky and unique book

Text Publishing — The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, book by Elisabeth

Who knew that I’d fall in love with a nonfiction book about a bedridden woman and the snail that kept her company…that’s The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, I guess.

PISCES: A book that bewitched and enchanted you with its lyrical words, and transmuted your imaginative mind

Amazon.com: Wild Beauty: A Novel (9781250124555): McLemore, Anna-Marie: Books

I could have put any of Anna-Marie McLemore’s novels on here because they’re all so beautifully written, but Wild Beauty was the novel that made me fall in love with their lyrical prose.

I TAG:

Ahaana @ Windows to Worlds
Hundreds & Thousands of Books
Phoenix @ Books with Wings
Rania @ Rania’s Rambling Reads
Becky’s Book Blog
Anyone else who wants to participate! If you see this tag and want to do it, by all means! And if I tagged you and you’ve already done it/don’t want to do it, my bad.

The Ridiculous Genius of Co-star – Words by Emily

I’ll probably do the music tag sometime over break, but we’ll see…

Today’s song:

The melody reminds me of “All the Umbrellas in London” by the Magnetic Fields…🥺

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags

Bookish Blog Tag

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles! I’m off a bit earlier than usual because of my school’s asynchronous Friday schedule, so I figured I’d do a nice little book tag. 🙂

I found this tag over at Whispering Stories. I don’t know who originally created the tag, so if anybody knows, please don’t hesitate to tell me and I’ll credit them! It looked super cute, so I figured I’d give it a go.

Let’s begin, shall we?

📚THE BOOKISH BLOG TAG📚

What are 1-3 of your favorite books of all time?

Amazon.com: Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle) (9781524720964): Kaufman, Amie, Kristoff, Jay: Books

Amazon.com: Heart of Iron (9780062652850): Poston, Ashley: Books

I’d have to go with Frankenstein, Aurora Rising, and Heart of Iron. In no particular order…kind of? I love them all, but I suppose they have varying degrees of sentimental value/specific memories attached to them…

I love Bruce's expression after Loki said that. He looked so freaked out. XD | Loki marvel, Loki, Loki thor

What are 1-3 of your favorite authors of all time?

Oooh, that’s hard…Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, and Ashley Poston, maybe? I’d put Mary Shelley on there too, but I’ve only read Frankenstein…

Who is your favorite female character from a book?

Again, such a hard pick…but I love Auri from Aurora Rising! Since the book came out, her character has spoken to me on so many levels, the most prominent of which being the fact that you don’t have to be brave to change the world.

Who is your favorite male character in a book?

Jeez, that’s super hard too…

Just one? Again? I suppose I’d have to go with Jax from Heart of Iron, maybe.

What’s your favorite fictional world?

Amazon.com: Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy) [Assorted Cover image] (9781250027436): Bardugo, Leigh: Books

The entire Grishaverse is so detailed and beautiful, just the kind of fictional universe that I’d want to get lost in. (Maybe. Probably not. Definitely not the Unsea.)

What book has your favorite cover?

Amazon.com: Skyhunter (9781250221681): Lu, Marie: Books

For me, it’s impossible to pick a single favorite book cover. I have an entire shelf on Goodreads of books with covers that I like, so I just had to trawl through that…

I eventually settled on Skyhunter for this prompt, though. The colors are just so beautiful, and even the inside of the hardback edition I have is gorgeous!

What’s your favorite book-to-movie adaptation?

Fantastic Mr. Fox' Poster | AllPosters.com

Fantastic Mr. Fox, without question! Even though I myself abide by the general “the book is always better than the movie” adage, this is one of the few book-to-movie adaptations that’s even better than the source material. That’s just the magic of Wes Anderson, I guess.

If you could make any book into a movie, which would it be?

Amazon.com: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) (9780553499117): Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff: Books

Illuminae would make a super tense movie! Now that I’ve seen the Alien/Aliens movies, this novel gives off similar vibes, so I feel like it would be a good fit for the big screen.

What was your favorite childhood book?

The Search for Wondla: Amazon.co.uk: DiTerlizzi, Tony: Books

The Search for WondLa trilogy shaped me as a person in so many ways…it made me fall in love with sci-fi literature, and it made me want to be an author. So for that, I’ll forever be in Tony DiTerlizzi’s debt.

Fantasy or sci-fi? (Or neither?)

The Bookish Mutant – Page 2 – Books. Writing. Film. Music. (But mostly just books.) — putting this in here because Prometheus has the most immaculate sci-fi vibes

Sci-fi, of course! Can’t say no to having strange adventures while hurtling through space. Plus, aliens are pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

I TAG:

Phoenix @ Books With Wings
Cherelle @ A Bolt out of the Book
Bertie @ Luminosity Library
Emily @ Frappes and Fiction
Beck @ Ghost with No Cares
Anyone else who wants to participate! If you see this tag and you want to do it, then go ahead!

Romance Book GIF by Lara Paulussen - Find & Share on GIPHY

Today’s song:

“Anonymous Friend” – Jim Noir (Bandcamp link)

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Review Tuesday (1/5/21)–Among the Beasts & Briars

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles! This is my last day before I have to go back to school… so heads up, I’ll probably be posting less frequently in the next few months because of school.

Anyway, this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. Ashley Poston is one of my favorite authors, and I’ll always hold her Heart of Iron duology close to my heart. And although Among the Beasts & Briars didn’t quite hit the level of wondrousness of that duology, it was still a fantasy like no other that I’ll always cherish.

Enjoy the first book review Tuesday of the year!

Among the Beasts & Briars–Ashley Poston

Cerys leads a quiet life in the kingdom of Aloriya, working with her father to tend the royal gardens. But behind her life of peace is a haunted past–as a child, the woods surrounding her kingdom stole her friends and her mother. She has never seen them again since. But by some miracle, the woods left Cerys alone, marked only by traces of magic in her blood.

When the woods invade the coronation of Aloriya’s new queen, Cerys is forced to flee. Joined by a familiar fox who followed close behind her in the gardens and a bear hiding momentous secrets, she must journey to the heart of the woods, where it is said that an isolated town has escaped the curse that took her mother and friends. But the woods hold secrets darker than the three could ever know…

Fantastic Mr Fox Animated GIF | Fantastic mr fox, Fox gif, Mr fox — *Soul of Stars* spoilers without context

TW/CW (from Ashley Poston): Frightening Situations, Secondary Character Death, Trypophobia, Bleeding/Self-Harm (not suicidal), Animal Attack, Blood, Grotesque Transformations

I saw a fox outside my window this morning when I woke up…maybe it was a sign that today was the perfect day to write this review…

I think Among the Beasts & Briars was the last book I read this year, and I honestly can’t think of a better book that I could’ve ended the year on. Ashley Poston’s pulled off another masterpiece, chock-full of lovable characters and lush imagery.

With all of Poston’s novels, what shines the most is usually the characters; I’m delighted to say that Among the Beasts & Briars was no exception! Cerys was such a lovable heroine. I’m always drawn to and relate to characters who don’t possess the typical qualities of traditional heroes/heroines–they’d rather stay on the sidelines, aren’t quite so brave, and are unwillingly forced into strange situations. Like Aurora Rising, I really resonated with the message that you don’t have to be brave or be from a noble background to be the hero of your own story, and Cerys exemplifies that theme in its fullest.

And I can’t talk about characters without talking about Fox! He was such a delightful character, and I loved his development as he grappled with his transformation. There’s no shortage of interesting details in his POV of the shifts between his fox form and the unintentional human form, and he and Cerys had the best chemistry. Vala was also wonderful, and they made for a perfect trio of fantasy misfits. I won’t spoil anything, but Seren was one of my favorites too–REDEMPTION ARCS DONE RIGHT, PEOPLE!

I also loved the fantasy world of Aloriya and the woods. Poston’s prose makes for so much lush imagery, making for a world that’s as lived-in as it is fantastical. My favorite aspect was absolutely the Woodcurse–there was clearly so much time spent creating the mythology around it, and it was simultaneously fascinating and creepy. And Hellboy made me a sucker for all sorts of spooky monsters, and everything that got swallowed by the Woodcurse just made the paranormal part of my heart so happy.

As with most of Poston’s novels, Among the Beasts & Briars was reasonably dark, but at its heart, it had such a resonant warmth to it, a glimmer of hope and joy no matter what. With every novel she writes, it clearly shines through how much she loves crafting stories, and it shines through on every page.

All in all, a fresh and unique addition to Poston’s pantheon of masterful literature. 5 stars!

Among the Beasts & Briars is likely a standalone, but Poston is also the author of the Heart of Iron duology (Heart of Iron and Soul of Stars) and the Once Upon a Con series (Geekerella, The Princess and the Fangirl, and Bookish and the Beast).

Today’s song:

I’m disappointed that we didn’t get the version with the whole cast on the Legion score, but Noah Hawley has such a gorgeous voice…this makes me cry every single time

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags

Baby It’s Cold Outside Book Tag

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles! I can’t believe it’s already almost Christmas…and even though the wind’s been howling where I am, there’s no shortage of good vibes in the house…

I was tagged by the wonderful Bertie @ Luminosity Library (thank you!), and the tag was created by the equally wonderful Erin @ Reading On A Star. I knew I had to do this tag sometime this winter, and it looks like today’s the day!

Rules:

Thank the person who tagged you and link to their post.
Display the banner (copy and paste).
Link to the original creator: erin @ Reading On A Star !
Answer the questions!
Tag however many people as you want

Let’s begin, shall we?

❄️BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE BOOK TAG❄️

SNOW DAY: What’s your comfort book?

I’d have to say Heart of Iron for this one! It’s been a little while since I’ve re-read this one, but I can always count on these space misfits and Ashley Poston’s signature wit to cheer me up.

SNOW ANGELS: What’s a book that you love so much that you would want to be buried with it? (A little morbid, but…)

Back at it again with the MISFIT SPACE OPERAAAAAAAA

Anyway, Aurora Rising is easily my favorite book; not only does it have a special place in my heart for the writing, the story, and the characters, but Auri taught me that you don’t have to be brave to change the world. For that, I will always hold these books highly.

WARM SOCKS: What’s a book that makes you feel warm inside?

Amazon.com: Tweet Cute: A Novel (9781250237323): Lord, Emma: Books

(Hey, I’m wearing fuzzy socks today! 🧦)

I read Tweet Cute a few months back, and it was just what I needed at the time–cute romance, wonderful chemistry, and grilled cheese. Can’t go wrong with grilled cheese.

HOT COCOA: What winter-themed novels have you previously read?

Elementals: Ice Wolves: Kaufman, Amie, Szabo, Levente: 9780062457981: Amazon.com: Books

I suppose Ice Wolves works, right? Ulfar Academy has a pretty wintry atmosphere.

SLEDDING: What’s a book with the best plot twists? Who’s an author that always keeps you on your toes?

Amazon.com: The Pioneer (9780062658067): Tyler, Bridget: Books

I read The Pioneer about a year and a half ago, on vacation in Canada (remember when vacations were a thing?); I specifically remember how blown away I was by THE PLOT TWIST RIGHT AT THE CLIFFHANGER…

UGLY SWEATERS: What’s a book with the ugliest cover?

Nights at the Circus: Carter, Angela: 9780140077032: Amazon.com: Books

This was the cover of the edition of Nights at the Circus that I got from the library, and that art style just does not do it for me…

MOVIE MARATHON: What’s the last book you binge read?

Amazon.com: Cemetery Boys eBook: Thomas, Aiden: Kindle Store

I recently finished Cemetery Boys in close to one sitting. Didn’t quite live up to all the hype for me, but it was definitely a lot of fun. (Expect a review next week!)

LETTER TO SANTA: What’s a book that’s on your wishlist this year?

Fargo: This Is a True Story: Hawley, Noah: 9781538731307: Amazon.com: Books

Amazon.com: The Conference of the Birds (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) (9780735231504): Riggs, Ransom: Books

I put Among the Beasts and Briars, Fargo: This is a True Story, and The Conference of the Birds on my Christmas list this year!

I TAG:

Allison @ Just A Bookworm
Brianna @ Brianna’s Books and Randomness
Phoenix @ Books with Wings
Becky @ Dusts of Magic
Riddhi @ Whispering Stories
and YOU! If you see this tag and want to participate, go ahead!

A charlie brown christmas charlie brown peanuts GIF on GIFER - by Gulrajas

Today’s song:

I just listened to this whole album yesterday and IT HAS NO BUSINESS BEING THIS GOOD…”Good News” is probably my favorite track 🥺

That’s it for this wintry book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags, Books

Mid-Year Freakout Book Tag

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

I found this tag over at One Book More, and it looked like a lot of fun! I can’t seem to find who created the tag, so if you know who originally created it, please let me know so I can tag them! 🙂

Let’s begin, shall we?

WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020?

Amazon.com: Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle) (9781524720926 ...

I think everybody saw this one coming, but seriously, Aurora Burning was PHENOMENAL in every sense of the word.

Chef Kiss GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SEQUEL OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR?

Amazon.com: The Survivor: A Pioneer Novel (9780062658098): Tyler ...

Since I probably shouldn’t put Aurora Burning in twice, I’d say The Survivor. What a beautiful end to an inventive and underrated series!

IS THERE A NEW RELEASE THAT YOU HAVEN’T READ YET BUT YOU’RE REALLY EXCITED FOR?

Amazon.com: The Sound of Stars (9781335911551): Dow, Alechia: Books

The Sound of Stars came out in late February, and it sounds like an incredible novel!

WHAT IS YOUR MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR?

Amazon.com: The Burning Kingdoms (The Smoke Thieves ...

The Burning Kingdoms is the final book in the Smoke Thieves series, and I am SO EXCITED TO GET MY HANDS ON IT. I requested an eARC of it and it got declined, but I requested it again, so we’ll see how that goes…

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT SO FAR?

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire Series #2) by ...

After the groundbreaking masterpiece that was Girls of Paper and Fire, Girls of Storm and Shadow failed to pack the punch that its predecessor had.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SURPRISE SO FAR?

Amazon.com: The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace) (9781481442725 ...

I had low/average expectations for The Scorpion Rules, but it ended up blowing me away! I really want to read the sequel soon…

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE NEW TO YOU/DEBUT AUTHOR?

The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library Novel): Cogman ...

I just discovered The Invisible Library series and Genevieve Cogman this April, and I’m so excited to read more of her novels! I have The Burning Page on hold, and it shouldn’t arrive for a few more weeks, but I can’t wait…

WHAT ARE 6 BOOKS THAT YOU WANT TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR?

Excluding some of the TBR ones that are already on here…let’s see…

Ashley Poston has never disappointed me, and I am ECSTATIC to read Among the Beasts and Briars!

Amazon.com: The Good for Nothings (9781250311252): Banas, Danielle ...

Even though the art style of the cover kinda makes me angry, The Good for Nothings sounds like it’s right up my alley! I also requested an eARC of this one, so we’ll see how it goes…

Amazon.com: A Song Below Water: A Novel (9781250315328): Morrow ...

Not only does A Song Below Water sound like a timely and beautiful novel…SIRENS. SIRENS!

Amazon.com: Goddess in the Machine (9781984835925): Johnson, Lora ...

Another eARC I requested (and was declined, and that I requested again…), Goddess in the Machine sounds absolutely FASCINATING.

Amazon.com: Honor Lost (Honors Book 3) eBook: Caine, Rachel ...

The final book in the Honors series, I’m eagerly awaiting to read Honor Lost! (My school librarian got to read it before me…kind of jealous, not gonna lie…)

Amazon.com: Kingsbane (The Empirium Trilogy) (0760789267772 ...

After finishing Furyborn recently, I can’t wait to see how the series continues in Kingsbane!

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TAG!

Harrison Ford Shrug GIF by Star Wars - Find & Share on GIPHY

Since I’ve already posted once today, check out today’s Book Review Tuesday for today’s song.

That’s it for this lovely book tag! Have a wonderful day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags, Books

Get To Know Ya Book Tag

Posted on January 2, 2020January 2, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy New Year, bibliophiles!

I found this tag on A Little Haze Book Blog, and I’m so excited to take part! Let’s begin, shall we?

FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME

Oooh…hard decision, but if I had to pick, I’d go with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I read it a little under two years ago for the first time, and it’s never left my thoughts since.

FAVORITE BOOK FIVE YEARS AGO

The entire Search for WondLa trilogy captured my heart around middle school, but my favorite of the three was the beautifully written (and illustrated) and shocking finale, The Battle for WondLa.

FAVORITE DUOLOGY/TRILOGY/SERIES

Hands down, Ashley Poston’s masterful Heart of Iron duology. Both books are so lovable in every sense of the word.

LAST BOOK YOU READ

I’ll be reviewing this one later, but I just finished up Supernova, the last installment in Marissa Meyer’s Renegades trilogy. Such a stunning end to the series!

LAST POETRY BOOK YOU READ

I bought a collection of Tennyson’s poetry in April, I think. Such remarkable and heartstring-tugging words…In Memoriam was probably my favorite.

WHAT BOOK MOST INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE?

Alright, sorry, I know I keep coming back to this, but The Search for WondLa was not only my gateway to my favorite genre, science fiction, but what inspired me to be an author. Tony DiTerlizzi will never stop being my hero, just for that series alone.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU UGLY CRY

Yeeeeeeeesh, A Monster Calls SLAYED me when I first read it. I had to re-read it over twice, and both times, I ended up bawling my eyes out at the end. GOD. 😭

BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH

Good Omens, without a doubt. I don’t think a book has made me laugh as much as that in a very long time.

CHARACTER YOU’D LIKE TO BE FOR A DAY

Hmm…the first character that came to mind was Alosa from Daughter of the Pirate King duology.Oh, to be a fearsome pirate queen on the high seas (with fabulous hair)…

BOOK SO GOOD YOU DREAMT ABOUT IT

I can’t quite think of any books that come to mind other than WondLa, and I’ve already mentioned that one in two of the questions, so…sorry about that.

BOOK YOU DNF’D

Oh, there’s a long, long list…

But the most recent book I DNF’d was Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters. Such an interesting concept for a plot, but the dialogue made it crash and burn. Curse you, deceptively gorgeous cover…

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU EXCITED TO READ?

I loved The Hazel Wood, and I just found out that the sequel, The Night Country, will be released on January 7th! REJOICE!

That just about wraps it up! If you’d like to do the tag, feel free to do so. Please be sure to link back to this post if you do so 🙂

Today’s song: “One and a Half Stars”–Wilco (listening to this as I wrap up this post!)

Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books

My 5-Star Reads of 2019

Posted on December 28, 2019January 2, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi there, everyone!

As 2019 (and this decade) draws to a close, I’ve decided to make a comprehensive lists of all of my 5-star reads for this year, and, by proxy, my favorite books that I’ve read this year. Most of these are what’d you’d expect, if you’ve scoured my book tags and reviews, but I know there’s a few that I haven’t talked much about. These are in chronological order of when I read them, though their actual rankings vary a fair bit.

Now, without further ado…this year’s 5-star lineup!

KING OF SCARS–LEIGH BARDUGO

Bardugo’s veritable masterpiece, all at once a rollicking adventure and an exploration of internal conflict, was my first 5-star rating of this year. And…Nikolai. ‘Nuff said.

Read my review here!

THE ILLUMINAE FILES TRILOGY–AMIE KAUFMAN and JAY KRISTOFF

I mean, I read all of these in the span of a few months, and I gave all three books five stars…

For good reason, I think. I doubt that we’ll ever come across a trilogy quite like this in a very long time.

Read my review (Illuminae) here!

NEVERWHERE–NEIL GAIMAN

I’ve been a fan of Gaiman’s work for some time, but I chose this one for an English project, and I fell so in love with the fantastic world-building, as well as each and every character.

Find it on Goodreads here!

ONCE & FUTURE–AMY ROSE CAPETTA and CORI MCCARTHY

A feminist, LGBTQ+ retelling of the legends of King Arthur…need we say more? A wonderfully fast-paced space adventure, reminiscent of Captain Marvel.

Find it on Goodreads here!

HONOR BOUND–ANN AGUIRRE and RACHEL CAINE

Even more daring than its predecessor, Honor Bound is a complex space opera to die for.

Find it on Goodreads here!

TENNYSON: POEMS–ALFRED TENNYSON

Yes, I was/still am that kid who sits in the corner reading depressing, 19th century poetry. Do I regret it? Absolutely not.

Find it on Goodreads here!

AURORA RISING–AMIE KAUFMAN and JAY KRISTOFF

You’ve already sing praise of this one innumerable times, so I’ll just leave it at this: I FOUND MY DREAM BOOK, PEOPLE. THIS IS EVERYTHING.

Read my review here!

THE PIONEER--BRIDGET TYLER

An inventive, heart-pounding sci-fi adventure, The Pioneer was very nearly flawless, and I’m itching to get my hands on the sequel next spring! 😀

Read my review here!

AN ANATOMY OF BEASTS–OLIVIA A. COLE

Delving deeper and growing even twistier than its predecessor, A Conspiracy of Stars, this novel is dazzlingly well-thought out, the prime example of what speculative sci-fi should be.

Find it on Goodreads here!

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES–RAY BRADBURY

Did I mention how much I love sci-fi? No?

Ray Bradbury is a talent to be reckoned with, able to deftly weave together a thought-provoking story in the span of under 100 pages with ease.

Also, I was today years old when I realized that the hand on the cover has six fingers.

Find it on Goodreads here!

SOUL OF STARS–ASHLEY POSTON

The epic conclusion to the Heart of Iron duology, Poston deftly wraps together a complicated universe of familial bonds and political intrigue. Love, love, love, LOVE…

Read my review here!

FAHRENHEIT 451–RAY BRADBURY

Again, Ray Bradbury. I rest my case.

Find it on Goodreads here!

SPARE AND FOUND PARTS–SARAH MARIA GRIFFIN

A futuristic Frankenstein for the modern age, this is a grossly underrated writing, atmospheric and poetic.

Read my review here!

THE DEMON WORLD–SALLY GREEN

The pulse-pounding sequel to The Smoke Thieves, Green delivers an even more potent punch of her signature world-building and fantasy action.

Read my review here!

HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X–JONATHAN HICKMAN

The newest installment in the legendary X-Men mythology, Hickman weaves a mythical and symbolic world, with a hopeful conclusion and the potential of many mutant tales to come.

Find it on Goodreads here!

LIKE A LOVE STORY–ABDI NAZEMIAN

Would you look at that…I think this is the only historical fiction in this post…

A hearstring-tearing and poignant coming-of-age LGBTQ+ novel. So many feels. INFINITE feels.

Read my review here!

THE TOLL–NEAL SHUSTERMAN

The conclusion to the unforgettable Arc of a Scythe trilogy, this novel is solid proof that Shusterman is a sci-fi author to be reckoned with.

Read my review here!

Man. What a year this has been…

Have you read any of these novels, and what did you think of them? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books

It sounded better in my head (A Heart of Iron theory)

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ OR HAVE NOT FINISHED ASHLEY POSTON’S HEART OF IRON, THIS POST CONTAINS SOME MAJOR SPOILERS.

(For the review of Heart of Iron, see 8/14/18).

Hi, fellow bibliophiles! I’ve been promising for weeks that I’d post more non-BRT content, and I have (finally) delivered.

Since August, I’ve re-read Heart of Iron twice. During my second re-read, I noticed something near the end of the book that could possibly give us some clues to the outcome of the sequel, Soul of Stars. It could turn out to be nothing, but…

…I’ve got a theory, folks.

Here we go.

Take a look at this passage on page 412 of Ashley Poston’s Heart of Iron, in which Di is on the brink of being controlled by the HIVE, and is repeating a series of words and names to himself to remember who he really is.

”Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Tsarina. Nevaeh. Di. Cerces.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Nevaeh. Di. Cerces.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Nevaeh. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Robb. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege.

Ana. Dossier—

Ana,

A…

…”

My theory is that this passage could determine the order of the fates of the characters. In her various Instagram stories, Poston has often hinted that the crew of the Dossier are definitely not gonna be completely alright by the time Soul of Stars is over. (I’m reasonably worried.) So, let’s break this on.

The first to go is Tsarina, the ship where the crew encountered the red-eyed Metals, and discovered Di’s current body. I’m not sure how that will come into play.

The second to go is Cerces. Cerces was a planet that was only mentioned a few times throughout the book, but whenever it came into the conversation, it was noted that Cerces housed infamous mines. Could we witness what Cerces is actually like in Soul of Stars? Only time will tell…

Next is Nevaeh, where the chase scene with Ana, D09 occurs in the beginning of the book. Though the crew of the Dossier is, as far as we know, bound for a place called Xourix, there’s definitely a possibility of them returning to world of the Ironbloods.

The fourth one worries me the most-now, JAX IS GONE. TIME TO PANIC.

landscape-1473680926-sophie-turner-x-men-screaming-slow.gif — nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It’s mentioned that every time he reads somebody’s stars, his life span shortens. And throughout the course of Heart of Iron, he (unintentionally) reads the stars of at least three people. Chances are, if he does survive, he’ll barely escape with his life.

NO. NO. NO. UNACCEPTABLE. HE’D BETTER NOT DIE. I SWEAR TO GOD—-

After Jax is Robb. With the threat of his tyrannical mother gone, his chances of survival are…slightly higher. Of course, the royal guard is definitely still after him. And maybe his fate could be connected to that of Jax? I mean, they’ve kissed twice now…(PERFECTION. COUPLE OF THE YEAR. 100/10,)

Next to go is Di himself. His chances of survival are fairly slim, seeing as he’s fighting a losing battle to keep the HIVE out of his body. But what will this mean for him and Ana? (Close second for couple of the year, I might add.)

After Di is Captain Siege. If she does shuffle off this mortal coil, something tells me that she’ll go out with a bang, with a gut-wrenching sacrifice for the rest of the Dossier’s crew. If anything, I’ll be saddened to see her go.

Second to last is the Dossier itself. Like with the Tsarina and the various locations throughout the galaxy, I’m unsure as to how this will factor in. Maybe the Dossier sustains some substantial damage, or gets destroyed? Only time will tell…

Lastly, of course, is Ana, the love of Di’s life and the main heroine. She’s probably the most likely to survive, but she’s still in considerable danger, seeing as she’s badly injured from the attack by HIVE’d Di, so depending on where Soul of Stars picks up, she could either be in critical condition, healing, or healed. You never know. We’ll just have to wait ’til next year…*gulp*

Welp, thank you for tolerating that tangent. Again, it could turn out to be completely illogical, but I’m keeping my hopes up. I just wanted to share this theory with the interwebs, regardless of whether or not any part of it turns out to be true.

Anyway, if you haven’t read Heart of Iron yet, PLEASE go and read it, and when you’re finished, feel free to read my review and share your thoughts! Hope you have a great rest of your day! 😉