The Poet X – The Bookish Mutant

Fictional Family Book Tag

Posted on October 16, 2020October 25, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles! Man, I’m so glad to have a few days off…

Brianna @ Brianna’s Books and Randomness tagged me (thanks so much!), but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find who created the tag. (If you know, please let me know!) I thought it sounded like a lot of fun, and the results were definitely interesting…

Rules:

Pick 8 books off your shelves (try to not pick just your favorites!)
Arrange them into a random order (randomizers are good for this).
In the order they are arranged, open them to a random page and write down the first name you see. Don’t mix up the names!
In the last book, find the name of an animal/pet and write it down.
Put the names in the right category.
Tag people (spread the love) copy and paste these rules in your post, or write them out yourself.

Let’s begin, shall we?

PARENT #1

Leo–The Final Six (Alexandra Monir)

I guess I could go with this? I suppose his more devoted/determined qualities might make him a decent father? I guess?

PARENT #2

Amazon.com: Crier's War (9780062823946): Varela, Nina: Books

Queen Junn–Crier’s War (Nina Varela)

UMM…I REALLY DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT…

SIBLING #1

Defy the Worlds (Constellation, #2) by Claudia Gray

Abel–Defy the Worlds (Constellation, #2) (Claudia Gray)

Okay, things are definitely starting to look up. Abel would be such a wonderful sibling to have–he’s such a lovable character, and I think he’d be a super supportive sibling.

SIBLING #2

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

Kady–Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) (Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff)

Okay, so this tag leaves a lot to be desired in the fictional parent category (shoutout to my actual parents for being the most amazing and supportive people), but KADY WOULD BE AN AMAZING SISTER. SHORT GIRLS UNITE!

And on that subject, WHO’S EXCITED FOR MEMENTO? I preordered it, I can’t wait to read it!

COUSIN

Amazon.com: The Poet X (9780062662804): Acevedo, Elizabeth: Books

Xiomara–The Poet X (Elizabeth Acevedo)

Xiomara would be such a cool cousin! I feel like we could have so much in common, with myself as an aspiring writer and her as a budding poet.

BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND/SIGNIFICANT OTHER

Amazon.com: Wild Blue Wonder (9780062563996): Sorosiak, Carlie: Books

Elliott–Wild Blue Wonder (Carlie Sorosiak)

It’s been a few years since I’ve read Wild Blue Wonder and I remember next to nothing about Elliott, so…uh… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

BEST FRIEND

Amazon.com: Wildcard (Warcross) (9780399547997): Lu, Marie: Books

Zero–Wildcard (Warcross, #2) (Marie Lu)

Ooh…Zero might be an interesting best friend to have, but not exactly the most trustworthy one…

PET

Amazon.com: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) (9781594746031): Riggs, Ransom: Books

Addison–Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs)

AHAHAAAAAAA YES

I’m more of a cat person, but I wouldn’t say no to having Addison at my side.

I TAG:

Jaedyn @ J Long Books
Shans_Shelves
Elli @ AceReader
Bookshelf Life
+ Anyone else who wants to participate!

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Today’s song:

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

Books, Top 5 Saturday

Top 5 Saturday (9/19/20)–Award-Winning Books 🥇

Posted on September 19, 2020September 19, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Saturday, bibliophiles!

First off, I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away yesterday at the age of 87. She was such an inspiration to me and so many others, and a true champion for feminism, positive change, and women’s rights. I know many of us–myself included–are frightened of the vacuum that she leaves in the U.S. Supreme Court, we must remember that she is not the only one of her kind–there are and will always be fighters like her who will be champions for the sort of change she pushed. This too shall pass. Rest in power, RBG. 💔

Time for another Top 5 Saturday! This was originally started by Devouring Books, and it sounded like such a fun post to take part in. Today’s topic is award-winning books.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER:

9/12/20—Science Fiction Books

9/19/20—Award-Winning Books

9/26/20—Guilty Pleasure Books

10/3/20—Intimidating Books

Rules!

Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
Tag the original post
Tag 5 people

Let’s begin, shall we?

The Sun is Also a Star, Nicola Yoon

My copy of this one has the award stamps peeling off at the edges; It won the California Book Award for Young Adult, and it was nominated for several others, including the Michael L. Printz award.

Smile, Raina Telgemeier

Smile won an Eisner in 2011, which was 100% deserved!

Echo, Pam Muñoz Ryan

Amazon.com: Echo (9780439874021): Ryan, Pam Munoz, Ryan, Pam Muñoz: Books

Echo was nominated for the Newberry Medal, and it won the Kirkus Prize for Young Reader’s Literature, as well as the Audie Award, among others.

The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo

This one made the news for winning the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature back in 2018, and it’s also won the Michael L. Printz Award and the Pura Belpré Award, among others–all of which I think are fully deserved.

I’ll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson – BookHippie.com

I’ll Give You the Sun won the Michael L. Printz award as well, and was nominated for the Stonewall Book Award as well. I read this one years ago and don’t remember much about it…maybe I should read it again.

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE!

And The Award Goes To GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Top 5 Saturday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books

YA Reads for National Latinx Heritage Month

Posted on September 16, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

As some of you may have known, National Latinx Heritage Month started yesterday (September 15th), and ends on October 15th. So for the occasion, I figured that I would compile a list of some YA books of all genres! (All of the books listed are #OwnVoices in that respect.) As someone who’s half Latinx, this month is definitely close to my heart, and I always love seeing latinx characters on the YA scene.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S YA READS FOR NATIONAL LATINX HERITAGE MONTH

The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

GENRE: Poetry/novels in verse, contemporary fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was recommended to me by a friend, and it’s easily one of the best–if not the best, period–novels in verse that I’ve ever read. I know it’s gotten quite a lot of hype in the past few years, but I can say with certainty that it deserves it all.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Hardcover) | Politics and Prose Bookstore

GENRE: Contemporary fiction, LGBTQ+, romance, coming-of-age

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s been years since I’ve read this one, but it’s such an important novel–not just in the Latinx representation, but in the LGBTQ+ representation as well!

Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic, #1), Maya Motayne

Amazon.com: Nocturna (9780062842732): Motayne, Maya: Books

GENRE: High fantasy

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Although I wasn’t as big a fan of this one as some of the others on this list, I loved the Latinx inspired world/magic system! One part that stood out to me was the fact that all the spells were Spanish verbs, which…okay, not gonna lie, took some of the surprise away from what the characters were about to do when I understood the words, but it’s an interesting aspect. And you can’t deny how gorgeous that cover is…

When the Moon Was Ours, Anna-Marie McLemore

Amazon.com: When the Moon Was Ours: A Novel (9781250058669): McLemore, Anna-Marie: Books

GENRE: Fantasy, fiction, magical realism, LGBTQ+

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I swear, Anna-Maria McLemore can do no wrong. Her prose is so beautiful, and it’s wonderfully diverse as well. There isn’t a book by her that I wouldn’t recommend, though I haven’t read Dark and Deepest Red or The Weight of Feathers yet…

Fire With Fire, Destiny Soria

GENRE: Urban fantasy, fiction, LGBTQ+, paranormal, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I recently received this one as an eARC, and I don’t regret it! Both of the main characters are mixed race (half Latinx/half white), and Dani is bisexual! It’s the first time in a bit that representation in a book got me THAT excited. Plus, there’s the general fantasy fun of butt-kicking girls teaming up with butt-kicking dragons.

With the Fire on High, Elizabeth Acevedo

Amazon.com: With the Fire on High: From the winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019 (9781471409004): Acevedo, Elizabeth: Books

GENRE: Contemporary fiction, realistic fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another powerful tale from Elizabeth Acevedo, another gorgeous cover! This book is not only guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings, but guaranteed to make you REALLY hungry.

They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera

Amazon.com: They Both Die at the End (9780062688514): Silvera, Adam: Books

GENRE: Contemporary fiction, science fiction, LGBTQ+, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Absolutely worth a read, but it’s one of those books that you have to be in a good, stable mood to read. I mean, they tell you exactly what’s going to happen, but it’s no less rough…[sniffles]

Wild Beauty, Anna-Marie McLemore

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

GENRE: Fantasy, magical realism, LGBTQ+, fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was my first exposure to McLemore, and it’s left a lasting impression on me to this day. It’s the kind of prose that makes you smell flowers and grass and want to dance through fields of colorful wildflowers.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these novels? What did you think? Are there any other great books by Latinx authors that you recommend? (Everybody’s putting Cemetery Boys on their lists…I still haven’t gotten around to reading it, but I have it on hold at the library…)

Another announcement before I go–guess what else started yesterday? Bisexual visibility week! Bi visibility day is September 23rd, so I’ll be compiling another list, this time for books with bisexual protagonists and authors. Stay tuned!

Today’s song:

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

Book Tags, Books

Out of My Comfort Zone Book Tag

Posted on March 24, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

book tags header.jpg

Hello again, bibliophiles!

Now that I’ve got more time on my hands thanks to this whole COVID-19 deal, I decided to look up a few more book tags to do. I’m thinking of creating my own soon, as I said, but I’m still working out the details there, so stay tuned. 😉

In the meantime, I found this tag on Madame Writer, and the tag was originally created by Emmmabooks.

RULE:

Choose one genre/category of books that you frequently talk about in tags and don’t use ANY books from that genre for answers.

[gulps] goodbye, sci-fi…

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1. A book that is an exception when it comes to genres or elements in books that you don’t typically like.

Image result for other words for smoke

Normally, I have quite a lot of trouble with the use of the 2nd person. In most instances, it takes me out of the story, and it leaves me feeling confused or disconnected. But Other Words for Smoke manages to utilize it masterfully, putting the reader in the headspace of Bevan just as seamlessly as if it were in the 1st or 3rd person.

2. A book you enjoyed from a genre you previously held some stigma about.

Image result for descendant of the crane

Technically, Descendant of the Crane could be categorized as fantasy, mystery, or fiction, but the mystery element hooked me more than any other element (sort of a murder mystery?), which is something that doesn’t often happen to me with novels.

3. A book you didn’t know was actually out of your comfort zone until you started reading it.

Image result for i am still alive book

I knew going into it that I Am Still Alive was waaaaaay out of my comfort zone (survival fiction/adventure), but all of the different elements woven into it surprised me at every turn–ones that usually turn me off to a book, but were so well-executed that they worked for me. Whew, this one’s a rough ride.

4. Pick a friend that motivates you to pick up books you might not normally be interested in. What is one book out of your norm that they convinced you to give a try?

Image result for the poet x book cover

One of my dear friends from school (and one of the few people who I’ve managed to convince to join my school’s book club) recommended The Poet X to me around two years ago. Our taste in books tends to be similar, but this one was most definitely out of my norm, mostly because of the aspect of a novel in verse, which I’ve found to be rather hit-or-miss. To my pleasant surprise, this one was a MASTERPIECE.

5. A book that is out of your comfort zone that you would like to read.

Image result for the night circus book

This one’s been talked about a lot for the past few years, and though I’ve found the reviews to be INCREDIBLY polarizing, I definitely want to at least give The Night Circus a try. I don’t usually read historical fiction, but the melding of that and a dash of fantasy seems like it would be entertaining, at best.

6. A book or genre so out of what you normally read that you’ll probably never give it a(nother) chance.

I’m probably never going to touch any sort of bodice rippers. That’s just completely out of the question. I mean, I’m all for romance, but…nope. Not today, nor ever, likely.

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I tag anyone who would like to participate!

Since I’ve already posted once today, you can head over to Book Review Tuesday (3/24/20)–Crown of Coral and Pearl to see today’s song.

That just about wraps up this tag! Have a wonderful day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Tags

Women’s History Book Tag

Posted on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

book tags header.jpg

Afternoon, bibliophiles!

I found this tag on The Comfy Reader, and as soon as I saw that it had to do with Women’s History…COUNT. ME. IN. The tag was created by Weird Zeal.

Rules:

Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post.
Link to the creator’s blog in your post
Answer the questions below using only books written by women
Feel free to use the same graphics
Tag 8 others to take part in the tag

Image result for girls of paper and fire

Lei from Girls of Paper and Fire is the ultimate disobedient, fierce, and patriarchy-smashing protagonist. I just got started with the sequel (Girls of Storm and Shadow), and though it’s not quite as potent as book 1, I’d forgotten how much I loved her and Wren.

Ada Lovelace

Image result for sky without stars book

Alouette from Sky Without Stars is a character that I always love to see in a female protagonist–daring and determined, but also incredibly intelligent, and VERY bookish!

Queen Elizabeth 1

Image result for smoke thieves

One of the perspectives that I enjoyed the most of Catherine in The Smoke Thieves, and her later struggle (and GREAT successes) of ascending to the throne as Queen of Brigant.

Virginia Woolf

Image result for wild beauty anna marie mclemore

The prose in Wild Beauty was one of the elements that most stood out to me in the book, as flowery as the gardens of La Pradera.

Joan of arc

Image result for sky in the deep

Although this was only a three-star read for me, Sky in the Deep was what immediately came to mind. Eelyn was most definitely a Wonder Woman-ish character, in an almost Viking setting.

Mae Jemison

Image result for a conspiracy of stars

Ooh, boy, I’ve got a lot to choose from…

A Conspiracy of Stars stands out so much in the YA sci-fi genre, with its spectacular world-building and memorable writing. WHERE. IS. BOOK. THREE.

Rosalind Franklin

(Heeeeey, we learned about her in my bio class not long ago!)

Image result for other words for smoke

Chilling and masterfully written, it honestly saddens me how little recognition Other Words for Smoke (and anything by Sarah Maria Griffin, really) has gotten.

Marsha P Johnson

Image result for everything grows book

Another vastly underrated novel, Everything Grows is a beautiful and deeply relatable book about exploring one’s sexuality.

Amelia Earheart

Image result for the poet x

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: The Poet X deserves every ounce of hype that it has received.

Your Choice

Image result for sally ride

Sally Ride has been one of my personal heroes ever since I did a project on her in 8th grade. The first American woman in space and an LGBTQ+ icon, she is continually one of my biggest inspirations. 💗

Image result for this time will be different book

With its tackling of many issues that plague our modern society today, This Time Will be Different inspires me to not just look at the big picture, but to look within local communities to remedy these ills.

I tag anyone who’d like to participate during this lovely Women’s History Month!

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Today’s song:

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

thank you for reading.jpg

Book Tags, Books

The Netflix Book Tag

Posted on February 17, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

book tags header.jpeg

Hello again, bibliophiles!

I’ve been wanting to do this tag for a little while, but I figured that it would be good for today since I’ve pretty much been subsisting off of Netflix for most of this four-day weekend. (*coughcough I AM MOTHER coughcough MONTY PYTHON coughcough*) I found this tag on First Line Reader, and the tag was originally created by A Darker Shade of Whitney.

RECENTLY WATCHED: The last book you finished reading

I’ve been a big fan of Raina Telgemeier for years, and I was so excited to find Guts at the comic shop last week!

TOP PICKS: A book/books that have been recommended to you based on a book you have previously read

Image result for ghosting you alexander eberhart

Ghosting You was recommended to me not long ago, based on the fact that I read and adored Like a Love Story.

RECENTLY ADDED: The last book you bought

Image result for sky without stars book

I bought both Sky Without Stars and Loki: Where Mischief Lies last week, and I’m excited to read them both!

POPULAR ON NETFLIX: Books that everyone knows about (2 you’ve read and 2 you haven’t or have no interest in reading)

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Both The Poet X and Red Queen have received tons of hype over the years, but I have very different opinions about them: the former was an absolute triumph, and the latter was…ugh. Nope.

Image result for the hate u give book

Image result for one of us is lying book cover

I’ve been recommended both The Hate U Give and One of Us is Lying countless times, but I’m not super invested in reading them. I might, but they’re low on my priority.

COMEDIES: A funny book

Image result for good omens book cover

I know I use this one every time I do a book tag, but Good Omens had me in stitches.

DRAMA: A character who is a drama king/queen

Elliot from In Other Lands was the very definition of melodramatic…part of why I DNF’d this book, ultimately.

ANIMATED: A book with cartoons on the cover

As iffy as Eliza and Her Monsters was, the cover was super cute.

WATCH AGAIN: A book/series you want to read again

Image result for the catcher in the rye

I haven’t read The Catcher in the Rye since we read it for my English class last year, but I enjoyed it immensely.

DOCUMENTARIES: A nonfiction book that you’d recommend to everybody

Image result for on writing stephen king

My nonfiction shelf is pretty slim, but for those of you who are writers/aspiring writers, I’d highly recommend On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

ACTION AND ADVENTURE: An action-packed book

Though it was a bit more slow-burn at the beginning, The Smoke Thieves managed to keep me on my toes for a good 3/4 of the book.

NEW RELEASES: A book that just came out or will be coming out soon that you can’t wait to read

Image result for honor lost rachel caine

I had no idea this had come out until my school librarian (who I recommended the series to, and now loves it 😄) told me that it had come out! I cannot WAIT to get my hands on Honor Lost!

I tag anyone that wants to participate!

Since I’ve already posted today, I won’t post a second song today, so just check out Goodreads Monday (2/17/20)–From Under the Mountain if you want to see what it is 🙂

That just about wraps up this tag! Have a wonderful day, and take care of yourselves!

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