Someone in my book club Facebook group recently posed the question “What is a book (or 2, or 3) that sits on your shelf that you will never give away or get rid of because of how much you love it or reread it, etc.?” My answer? This whole shelf. Everyone has a few (or in my case nearly 30) books that they’re unwilling to part with under any circumstances. You know what I’m talking about. You may go years between rereadings, but the characters that grace those pages are somehow permanently etched into your soul. The idea of selling or donating that particular book just HURTS. The books that I ..read more

Title: The Black Key Author: Amy Ewing Published:  October 4, 2016 Series: The Lone City #3 Genre:  Dystopian/High Fantasy Format:  Kindle Source:  Purchased For too long, Violet and the people of the outer circles of the Lone City have lived a life of servitude, controlled and manipulated by the royalty of the Jewel. But now, the secret society known as the Black Key is preparing to seize power and knock down the walls dividing each circle. And while Violet knows she is at the center of this rebellion, she has a more personal stake in it—for h ..read more

Title: The Girl With All the Gifts Author: M.R. Carey Published:  June 19, 2014 Series: The Girl With All the Gifts #1 Genre:  Dystopian/Science Fiction Format:  Hardcover Source:  Borrowed Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh. Melanie ..read more

Title: Thunderhead Author: Neal Shusterman Published:  January 9, 2018 Series: The Arc of a Scythe #2 Genre:  Dystopian Format:  Hardcover Source:  Purchased Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology. Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has ..read more

Title: Scythe Author: Neal Shusterman Published:  November 22, 2016 Series: The Arc of a Scythe #1 Genre:  Dystopian Format:  Hardcover Source:  Purchased Thou shalt kill. A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking ..read more

Title: The Handmaid’s Tale Author: Margaret Atwood Published:  February 17, 1986 Genre:  Dystopian Format:  Kindle Source:  Purchased The Handmaid’s Tale is not only a radical and brilliant departure for Margaret Atwood, it is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repre ..read more

Title: The Librarian of Auschwitz Author: Antonio Iturbe (Translated by Lilit Thwaites Published:  October 10, 2017 Genre:  Historical Fiction Format:  Hardcover Source:  Purchased This is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust. Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Fredy Hirsch asks Dita ..read more

Title: the princess saves herself in this one Author: Amanda Lovelace Published:  April 23, 2016 Series: Women are some kind of magic Genre:  Poetry Format:  Hardcover Source:  Purchased “Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we’re off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales.” A poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves ..read more

Title: The City of Brass Author:  S.A. Chakraborty Published:  Nov. 14, 2017 Series: The Daevabad Trilogy Genre:  Historical Fantasy Format:  Kindle Source:  Purchased Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles. But when Nahri accidentally summons ..read more

As of this week, the Top Ten Tuesday meme has moved to a new host blog — That Artsy Reader Girl! Same great concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, just a new host! Top Ten Tuesday focuses on a different top 10 theme each week — check out the host blog for a list of upcoming TTT topics. This week’s topic is… Bookish Resolutions/Goals I don’t usually do the whole “New Year, new me” thing, and I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but here are some loosely-defined goals I have for myself this year. 1. Finish more Laugh all you want, but I had a major problem finishing books l ..read more