aurora rising – The Bookish Mutant

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?

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

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…)

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

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?

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

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!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: October 5-11, 2020

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you all well.

Now that all of the big tests and quizzes that I’ve been stressing out over are over with, I’m feeling a lot better. And now I have a long weekend to look forward to next week, which I’m ECSTATIC for! Just the break I needed.

I had another fairly lackluster reading week, but I enjoyed everything that I read. I only got around to reading two books (well, one, technically–I finished the first one on Sunday evening), and that’s all because of the sheer length of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. (Expect a review next week.) I also had my school’s book club meeting for Aurora Rising, and everybody seemed to love it, which filled my heart with immeasurable joy…🥺

Too Much Beauty GIF by Much - Find & Share on GIPHY — Is this gif about *To Sleep in a Sea of Stars* or my AP Bio quiz/Precalc test this week? You decide…

Other than that, I went back to the library and got a good haul, caught up on Fargo, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Raised by Wolves (nearly finished with the latter…), and I’ve finally gotten slightly back into the groove of outlining for NaNoWriMo. Oh, and The Other Side of the Sky and Skyhunter just came in the mail!

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Showers, Flowers, and Fangs–Aidan Wayne (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Showers, Flowers, and Fangs by Aidan Wayne

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars–Christopher Paolini (⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

Amazon.com: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars eBook: Paolini, Christopher: Kindle Store

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

The Court of Miracles–Kester Grant

Amazon.com: The Court of Miracles (9781524772857): Grant, Kester: Books

The Bone Houses–Emily Lloyd Jones

Amazon.com: The Bone Houses eBook: Lloyd-Jones, Emily: Kindle Store

Chilling Effect–Valerie Valdes

Chilling Effect: Valdes, Valerie: 9780062877239: Amazon.com: Books

Dark and Deepest Red–Anna-Marie McLemore

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

A Touch of Gold–Annie Sullivan

A Touch of Gold (A Touch of Gold, #1) by Annie Sullivan

Today’s song:

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

Book Tags, Books

My Life in Books Tag

Posted on October 5, 2020October 11, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi again, bibliophiles! I have a little bit of extra time, and I haven’t done a book tag in what feels like ages, so I’ve decided to do this one!

I found this tag over at Bookshelf Life, and I haven’t been able to find the creator of the tag, so if you know, please let me know 🙂

Let’s begin, shall we?

FIND A BOOK FOR EACH LETTER OF YOUR NAME

M: Monstrous–MarcyKate Connolly

A: Aurora Rising–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (you all knew this was coming, didn’t you?)

D: Dune–Frank Herbert

E: Even the Darkest Stars–Heather Fawcett

L: The Life Below (The Final Six, #2)–Alexandra Monir

I: I Wish You All the Best–Mason Deaver

N: Night Music–Jenn Marie Thorne

E: Everything Grows–Aimee Herman

PICK A BOOK SET IN YOUR CITY/COUNTRY

All the Impossible Things: Lackey, Lindsay: 9781250202864: Amazon.com: Books

I’ve lived in Colorado for most of my life, and that’s where All the Impossible Things is set. There’s even a scene at the Denver Aquarium, one of my favorite places to go in Denver.

PICK A BOOK THAT REPRESENTS A DESTINATION THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO TRAVEL TO

The Case of the Missing Marquess (An Enola Holmes Mystery): Springer, Nancy: 9780142409336: Amazon.com: Books

I’ve always wanted to travel to England, and Enola Holmes, along with Harry Potter (among other things) may or may not have spurred that on. (Oh, and David Bowie and the Beatles…)

PICK A BOOK WITH YOUR FAVORITE COLOR ON THE COVER

Amazon.com: Under Shifting Stars eBook: Latos, Alexandra: Kindle Store

I love teal and turquoise, and Under Shifting Stars has that in no short supply.

WHICH BOOK DO YOU HAVE THE FONDEST MEMORY OF?

I read Heart of Iron for the first time just over two years ago. I was on a plane ride to Chicago, and I spent most of the ride eagerly reading through this one. It was my favorite book for a while, and I highly recommend it!

WHICH BOOK DID YOU HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY READING?

Amazon.com: The Odyssey (9780140268867): Homer, Robert Fagles, Bernard Knox: Books

We had to read The Odyssey for English in my freshman year. I liked it, but I had to read it in…[ahem] small chunks because I just kept getting tired…

WHICH BOOK ON YOUR TBR WILL GIVE YOU THE BIGGEST SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT WHEN YOU FINISH IT?

I started reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars last night. It’s about the same length of my edition of Dune, which took me a solid week to read, so it’ll be a relief to finish all 880 pages. (I’m about 200 pages in now, and…it went from “draws heavily from Aliens” to “wait, is this an Aliens fanfic?” very quickly, but we’ll see how it goes…)

I TAG:

& anyone else who wants to participate!

30 Animated Book Reading Gifs - Best Animations

Since I’ve already posted once today, check out today’s Goodreads Monday for today’s song.

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

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: September 21-27, 2020

Posted on September 27, 2020September 27, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope you’ve all had a lovely week.

I’ve only been in school for about a month, but I can already tell that the “Crash Course” theme music will haunt my dreams by the time May rolls around…

It’s definitely been an…okay week for me? I got back on my normal reading schedule, but I’ve had an amount of schoolwork and studying to to that’s definitely not ideal, but hey, first world problems. I’m gearing up for a similar week next week, so I might not be able to post quite as much.

I’ve been outlining for a story idea that I’ll probably whip out come NaNoWriMo season, so that’s been going slowly but surely. I also watched Netflix’s adaptation of Enola Holmes Friday night, and…well? Millie Bobby Brown was amazing, as always, but there was something missing. There were a few changes from the book that really seemed unnecessary, but I understand that most adaptations do need to change up the source material a tad bit. I still think that Sherlock should have been portrayed as more of the mansplaining jerk that he was in the books, and Henry Cavill would have been great at that, but alas, nope.

I’m glad that I haven’t read a bad book this week! Aside from re-reading Aurora Rising yet again (shh, I swear it’s just for book club purposes), I got some great content through my last eARC and my new library books. I’ve got a bunch more ready, so I think that this week could hold another week like it!

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

All Our Hidden Gifts–Caroline O’Donoghue (eARC) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue

Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle, #1)–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (re-read) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

All These Monsters (Monsters, #1)–Amy Tintera (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

All These Monsters (Monsters, #1) by Amy Tintera

Unearthed (Unearthed, #1)–Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Struck–Jennifer Bosworth

Struck (Struck, #1) by Jennifer Bosworth

Star Daughter–Shveta Thakrar

Amazon.com: Star Daughter (9780062894625): Thakrar, Shveta: Books

The Assignment–Liza M. Weimer

Amazon.com: The Assignment eBook: Wiemer, Liza: Kindle Store

Sea Sirens–Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee

Sea Sirens GN (2019 Viking) A Trot and Cap'n Bill Adventure comic books

Today’s song:

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

Books

YA Reads for Bisexual Visibility Week/Day 💗💜💙

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

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles, and more importantly, happy Bisexual Visibility Day!

Last week (September 15) was the start of Bisexual Visibility week, which blends with today (September 23), Bisexual Visibility Day. Even though we’ve made great steps as far as LGBTQ+ progress goes, there’s still a plethora of harmful stigmas surrounding bisexual people, and not to mention bisexual erasure in the media and elsewhere. But today is a day to celebrate bisexual love, and to remind ourselves and all our bi friends of this: you are loved, you are valid, and you are beautiful.

So today, I’ve compiled a list of books with bisexual protagonists! Sadly, I wasn’t able to find as many who had #OwnVoices bi authors, but I’m always striving to read and find more.

Let’s begin, shall we?

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S YA READS FOR BISEXUAL VISIBILITY WEEK/DAY

Reign of the Fallen, Sarah Glenn Marsh

Amazon.com: Reign of the Fallen (9780448494395): Glenn Marsh, Sarah: Books

GENRE: High fantasy, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There’s only one thing better than a bisexual protagonist…and that’s a bisexual protagonist who’s a necromancer! Reign of the Fallen will always have a special place in my heart, and I’ll always have a soft spot for Odessa.

The Scorpion Rules, Erin Bow

Amazon.com: The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace) (9781481442725): Bow, Erin: Books

GENRE: Science fiction, dystopia, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was one of my first quarantine reads, and not only is it an original, underrated dystopia, it’s by an #OwnVoices author!

They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera

They Both Die At The End By Adam Silvera • Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews

GENRE: Contemporary, fiction, science fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This one bleeds over from my list of Latinx YA reads last week–it’s so nice to see bi representation and a relationship from two Latinx boys!

Otherbound, Corinne Duyvis

Amazon.com: Otherbound (9781419716812): Duyvis, Corinne: Books

GENRE: Fantasy, science fiction, fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not only do we have bisexual and lesbian characters by an #OwnVoices author, there’s great disability representation here as well!

Aurora Rising, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

GENRE: Science fiction, space opera, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Speaking of sci-fi with both bisexual and disability rep…

There’s seven (later six) different POVs throughout this series, two of which are LGBTQ+; and Kaufman and Kristoff confirmed that Finian, one of these POVs, is bisexual! (And honestly? It’s perfect, he is absolutely the OG Disaster Bisexual…)

Queens of Geek, Jen Wilde

Amazon.com: Queens of Geek (9781250111395): Wilde, Jen: Books

GENRE: Contemporary, fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not only is one of our protagonists biracial and bisexual, it also tackles a variety of issues, such as biphobia, sexism, fat-shaming, and mental health issues. A wonderful read for anyone familiar with the Comic Con scene!

The Disasters, M.K. England

Amazon.com: The Disasters (9780062657671): England, M. K.: Books

GENRE: Science fiction

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Disasters was SO much fun–and the cast is effortlessly diverse in terms of race, gender, and sexuality! Plus, the author is nonbinary as well!

Fire With Fire, Destiny Soria

GENRE: Fantasy, urban fantasy, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I know I’ve been blabbing about this one for the past month, but what’s not to like about a biracial, bisexual girl and a dragon kicking magic butt?

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books? Do you have any more recommendations for Bisexual Visibility Day?

Bi Pride GIF - Bi Pride - Discover & Share GIFs

Today’s song:

Do you like girls or boys?
It’s confusing these days,
But moon dust will cover you,
Cover you…

That’s it for these bi reads! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: September 14-20, 2020

Posted on September 20, 2020September 20, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope that this week has treated you well, but if it hasn’t, consider all my love sent to you.

I’ve really ran the emotional gamut this week for some reason…Monday and Tuesday were rather chaotic; I had a lot of homework and resulting stress earlier in the week. I finally finished my first draft of my paranormal fantasy WIP (!!!), and come Friday, I was feeling great. I had my first meeting for my school’s book club now that I’m president, and since we didn’t get the chance to discuss it last year (due to COVID-19 complications/general scrambling), we’re reading Aurora Rising! But then my mood took a nosedive after I heard the news about RBG, so the day ended on a rather somber note. But in these scary and trying times, we must all remember that THIS TOO SHALL PASS, NO MATTER WHAT.

I had a fairly prolific blogging week, but reading-wise…

Flopplause GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

I usually read fairly fast, but I ONLY GOT TO READING THREE BOOKS THIS WEEK. Most of it’s because Dune was so long that it took up a huge chunk of my time, but I loved it nonetheless.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

The Spaceship Next Door (Sorrow Falls, #1)–Gene Doucette (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Spaceship Next Door (9781328567468): Doucette, Gene: Books

Dune–Frank Herbert (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Books of Titans Podcast Episode 19: Dune by Frank Herbert

Things That Grow–Meredith Goldstein (eARC) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: Things That Grow eBook: Goldstein, Meredith: Kindle Store

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

All Our Hidden Gifts–Caroline O’Donoghue (eARC)

Today’s song:

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

Book Tags, Books

The Rainbow Book Tag 🌈

Posted on August 27, 2020August 27, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Thursday, bibliophiles! Whew, I’m so glad that the school week is nearly over, even though it’s the first week…

It’s been low-key, for the most part, at least. I haven’t gotten dumped with review like I did on Monday for Spanish, and it’s mostly been google meets, so that’s been nice and quiet.

I found this tag over at Bookforager, and the tag was originally created by Le Book Chronicles. Here’s the objective: go through the books on your shelf (or your TBR), and pick out your favorite (if possible) book of each color of the rainbow! My bookshelf is already arranged in rainbow order (is that cheating?), so this should be fun!

RULES:

Must be the dominant color of the COVER, not the spine!
If you do not own a book of a certain color, just choose one that has the color on it somewhere
It has to be a book you own and/or has to be the exact edition you read (e.g. there are two different overs for Me Before You, you would choose the one you read)
TAG some people to do it! Whether they be Bloggers, Bookstagrammers or BookTubers

Let’s begin, shall we?

RED

Amazon.com: Inkmistress (9780062433282): Coulthurst, Audrey: Books

Inkmistress–Audrey Coulthurst

I got this one as an ARC a while back from an internship at my local bookshop!

ORANGE

Amazon.com: Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle) (9781524720926): Kaufman, Amie, Kristoff, Jay: Books

Aurora Burning–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

MY BOY KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL

YELLOW

Amazon.com: Wayward Son (Simon Snow Series (2)) (9781250146076): Rowell, Rainbow: Books

Wayward Son–Rainbow Rowell

GREEN

Amazon.com: The Toll (Arc of a Scythe Book 3) eBook: Shusterman, Neal: Kindle Store

The Toll–Neal Shusterman

My my, lots of sequels in this tag today…

BLUE

[singing] …blue, electric blue, that’s the color of my–okay, fine, I’ll stop…

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

The Sound of Stars–Alechia Dow

PURPLE

Aurora Rising–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

PINK

Ravenous: Connolly, MarcyKate: 9780062272751: Amazon.com: Books

Ravenous–MarcyKate Connolly

HIGHLY underrated

WHITE

Amazon.com: Everything, Everything (9780553496673): Yoon, Nicola: Books

Everything, Everything–Nicola Yoon

BROWN

Cannery Row (Cannery Row #1) by John Steinbeck

Cannery Row–John Steinbeck

BLACK

Once & Future (Once & Future #1) by Amy Rose Capetta

Once & Future–Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

I have quite a lot of books with black spines…very goth of me…

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE!

Rainbow GIF by ahn0ahn0 - Find & Share on GIPHY

Today’s song:

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

Book Tags, Books

Books and Bakes Book Tag

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles!

I feel like I haven’t done a book tag in a while, so I figured that I’d have some fun and do one today. I found it over at Leigh Hecking’s blog, and the tag was originally created by Life is a Page Turner. This looked like such a fun tag to do–and since my sweet tooth is out of control, of course I had to do it.

Let’s begin, shall we?

CUPCAKES: Name a collection of short stories, poems, or anthologies where you couldn’t read just one section and had to go back for another.

Cupcake Gif By Shaking Food GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Tennyson: Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series) - Kindle ...

I bought this lovely collection of Tennyson’s poetry last year, and I enjoyed every page of it!

LEMON POUND CAKE: Name a book that has 400 pages or more that you considered a comfort read and a classic.

Lavender Lemon Pound Cake (Tea Time) | Savory dessert, Lemon pound ...

Scythe (Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Edition) (Arc of a Scythe ...

Scythe is 435 pages long (the last two books are even longer), and ever since finishing book 3, I can say with certainty that this is one of my favorite series!

RED VELVET CAKE: Name a book that you thought was one thing, but ended up being something completely different.

Satisfying Red Velvet GIF by emibob - Find & Share on GIPHY

Amazon.com: Descendant of the Crane (9780807515518): He, Joan: Books

I went into Descendant of the Crane thinking that it would be more fantasy-oriented, but it turned out to be a blend of the former, political intrigue, and a touch of murder mystery. Highly recommended!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH: Name a book or a book series that you can read over and over again even though you know that it’s bad for you.

Which Cookie Dough Has The Most Chocolate Chips? | Secret cookie ...

Amazon.com: Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle Book 1) eBook: Kaufman ...

I need a running tally of how many times Aurora Rising‘s snuck into my book tags…

But truly, I could never get tired of this masterful series, and book 3 can’t come soon enough…

APPLE PIE A LA MODE: Name a book that was really good but could have been better with a little bit of ice cream.

Apple Pie GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Amazon.com: The Weight of the Stars (9781250101631): Ancrum, K.: Books

I finished The Weight of the Stars yesterday and liked it, but almost the entire cast of characters were self-destructive jerks (on some level), so that aspect took away a little of my enjoyment.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES: Do you like your gingerbread cookies crunchy or soft?

Gingerbread People: How to win the #bestdressedcookie competition ...

Soft, all the way!

IF YOU LIKE YOUR COOKIES SOFT: Name a book that was squishy in the middle, but the beginning and end were really good

IF YOU LIKE YOUR COOKIES CRUNCHY: Name a book that you wanted to throw at the wall/snap

Amazon.com: Elatsoe (9781646140053): Little Badger, Darcie, Cai ...

I loved Elatsoe, but there was a lull in the middle; luckily, it picked up by the end. I got an eARC of this one, and it comes out in a matter of days!

BROWNIES: Are you a middle piece or a corner piece?

Brownie GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Middle piece! Can’t say no to the soft texture…

IF YOU’RE A CORNER PIECE: Name a book that started off strong and then all came apart

IF YOU’RE A MIDDLE PIECE: Name a book that kept you in the feels the entire time

Amazon.com: On a Sunbeam (9781250178138): Walden, Tillie: Books

On a Sunbeam absolutely fits the bill for my middle piece–I was already excited for it, but I had no idea how gripping and atmospheric it would be!

BIRTHDAY CAKE: Name a book series or an author that you feel like keeps coming out with a book, short story, or novella every year

Birthday Cake GIF by GIPHY Studios Originals - Find & Share on GIPHY

My first thought here was Amie Kaufman; at this point, she’s become such a prolific author, what with all of her YA and MG series. (Anybody else excited for The Other Side of the Sky? I preordered it!)

CARROT CAKE: Name a book that sounded healthy for you but ended up being unhealthy, either with content or by putting you in a reading slump

Amazon.com: When We Were Magic (9781534432871): Gailey, Sarah: Books

I had my expectations high for When We Were Magic, but though it was entertaining, it was…decent. Not bad, but not spectacular for me. I have distinct memories of staring at the cover, but thinking that the book wasn’t nearly as gripping…

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE!

Baking Cookies GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Today’s song:

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

Books, Geeky Stuff, Random

Aurora Rambling: My scatterbrained theories for the cover of Aurora Rising #3

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

I’ve been wanting to do this post ever since I finished Aurora Burning, because ever since May, there have been OH SO MANY THOUGHTS RUNNING AROUND MY BRAIN. As a reader, I’m not really the best at predicting plot twists and theorizing about the actual content of books (and judging from That Ending, I’m even more clueless than usual), but I’ve had a lot of fun thinking of who the cover might feature.

So, prepare for a lot of incoherent thoughts here, folks…

Let’s begin, shall we?

Now, FAIR WARNING: This post is guaranteed to be CRAWLING with spoilers for both Aurora Rising and Aurora Burning, so please be careful if you intend to read them and haven’t yet!

Spoilers GIF by University of California - Find & Share on GIPHY

THE COVER, AND WHO MIGHT BE ON IT

First, there’s a few characters we can probably eliminate from the pool for the star of the cover:

Auri: Our favorite Space Rogue had the gorgeous cover of book 1 all to herself.

Rogue x men GIF - Find on GIFER — “Check a mirror, Elrond…”

Kal: Same deal–his lovely face was on the cover of book 2.
Cat: [ahem] apologies for putting salt on the wound here, but…unless Kaufman and Kristoff decide to tear our hearts in two again and just put Ra’Haam Cat on the cover (which I highly doubt), Zero’s out of the running.

Gone, but not forgotten…[sad harmonica]

So now that we have those three characters out of the running, let’s see who else might make an appearance:

Tyler: Personally, my last choice for the cover, but hey, a lot of people like him. (For the same reason people adore Captain America, I guess.) By the end of book 2, he’s separated from the rest of the Squad, so if he’s on the cover, that might allude to one last, grand finale hero act for him, proving his eternal loyalty to Squad 312 above all else.

I also had a dream where Tyler was on the cover of book 3, and no offense to all his fans out here, but that’s a dream that I’d prefer not to come true. I don’t hate him, or anything, he’s grown on me a lot, but he’s my least favorite of the Squad.

Captain america GIF - Find on GIFER — “Ease off, legionnaire!”

Scarlett: I would LOVE to see her on the cover, but I’m not sure what the authors have planned for her. There was that reveal in the last few pages of book 2 that her *diamond* necklace might have far more importance than the others once thought, so that could give her an interesting role in trying to save the universe. Scarlett’s played an essential part in each novel, but she’s never fully had the spotlight, so maybe book 3 could be her time to shine?
Zila: I’m thinking that this one has SO much potential for book 3. Other than the fact that we haven’t seen how her gifted hawk earrings factor into it (most of the Squad’s gifts from Admiral Adams have had a crucial role to play, like Kal’s cigarillo box and Scar’s necklace), it’s not unlikely that she could have an answer to all this intergalactic chaos. Her quick wit has gotten the Squad out of many a bad situation, and since we’ve started to see her character arc develop in book 2, I think she could finally come into herself in the final installment in the trilogy.

And honestly? I would be 100% here for it. I adore Zila. Short girls UNITE! Plus, a sapphic, Black girl on the cover? SIGN ME UP!

Last but not least…

Finian: At this point, a good 80% of the fandom is willing to hand over their entire life’s savings to Kaufman and Kristoff for the chance to have him on the cover, so the chances here are…interesting.

Wholesome memes | Wiki | Furry Amino — The entire fandom @ Finian

And to be honest? I ABSOLUTELY understand the sentiment. Aside from Auri and Kal, he’s my favorite of the Squad, and such a wonderful balance between comic relief and a genuinely complex character. Beyond that, I think he might have an important role to play–after all, we haven’t seen how he uses the ballpoint pen, and how the “tell her the truth” note plays into that.

Also, as with Zila, wouldn’t it be great to have his representation on the cover? He’s bisexual and has impaired mobility, so that would be amazing to have him front and center.

PERSONALLY? I’d like to have either Scar, Finian, or Zila, but more so the latter two.

SEMI-LOGICALLY? I think that Zila or Tyler have the best chance of being on the cover, judging from their previous roles. Of course, they’d face the wrath of the Finian side of the fandom, but will that stop them? I doubt it…

In conclusion, I really haven’t been able to get this series off my mind. At all. May 2021 can’t come soon enough, but it’ll certainly be bittersweet, knowing that this will be the final book in the trilogy. Judging from what happened last year, we’ll likely get the title by October and the cover reveal by November, so I’ll check back then to see how my scatterbrained ramblings match up.

So stay tuned, folks…

Today’s song:

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

Book Tags, Books

Do I Have That Book? Book Tag

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles! I hope today finds you all safe, healthy, and in good spirits.

I found this tag over at Words and Stitches, and the tag was originally created by Keeping Tabs on Booktube. It sounded like a super fun tag, and I’m excited to participate!

Rules

1. Time yourself trying to find each prompt on your shelf
2. Try and beat the time of the person who challenged you.
3. Don’t forget to tag your challenger and the original creator!
4. Have fun!

Let’s begin, shall we?

DO YOU HAVE A BOOK WITH DECKLED EDGES?