July 21st to July 27th, 2019 Weekly Wrap Up

What I Finished Reading

Titles in this section link to my (sometimes fuller) reviews on Goodreads.

Book Love by Debbie Tung 4⭐

A wonderful graphic novel about being a bookworm! I didn't relate to *every* single page, but I did most of them! It was so cute.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 4⭐

The shoes in the book are silver. Quite a lot of differences between the book and the movie actually. I read this (and then watched the 1939 movie) for the book to movie adaptation challenge for The Reading Rush! I enjoyed both, but I definitely prefer the book now! It's a lot more violent than the movie too for that matter. I then got the rest of the series, there are like 14 books in the Oz series, on kindle for free because public domain. Fun adventures in Oz and some good messages on kindness, courage, and brains.

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman 5⭐

I read this for The Reading Rush's challenge of purple on the cover and author debut. It came for my heart so hard! It's a very hard-hitting and difficult book to get through. Not for the language but for the topics. Parental abuse, sexual abuse, anxiety, racism. The MC is biracial (White and Japanese) and has anxiety. I can't speak on the biracial rep but I related SO HARD to the anxiety rep! I don't know why I thought it was a good book for a readathon, but i'm so glad I read it anyway. Definitely a new favorite! Since I did read it on kindle I made some of my notes visible on Goodreads.

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland 4.5⭐

I read this 2 years ago, physically, loved it and bought the rest of the series right away...and...I still haven't continued the series. Why am I like this?! I want to try getting into audio books, so i'm starting with re-reads, so I listened to it for The Reading Rush for the challenge of Non-human MC (zombie). Angel gets a second chance at life by...dying. And becoming a zombie. Not a brainless slow zombie. Yes she has to eat brains (and gets a job at the morgue) but as long as she does she is still herself. There is some mystery to it. I love Angel and the themes it touches on. Not taking abuse (her dad is abusive, and her mom was too), and standing on your own 2 feet. Still love it. Gotta continue the series...SOON. Really enjoyed listening to it this time!

Alice by Christina Henry 5⭐

A dark Alice in Wonderland retelling. Heavy theme of rape and girls being sold to evil men. However Alice is bad-ass, there is more to the story than first meets the eye, and I love where it goes! A dark feminist retelling of Alice in Wonderland I didn't know I needed. Also read for The Reading Rush for the challenge of meant to read last year.

The Haunted Vagina by Carlton Mellick III 4⭐

That was bizarre....and I loved it! Kinda made me think too. I've barely stepped into bizarro book land but i've noticed the best bizarre stories also can make you think, while they also have you going "what the fuck?" Also read for The Reading Rush (along with Food Wars Vol. 12 and Locke & Key Vol. 1) just for the unofficial read 7 books challenge..which I completed in just 6 days!)

Food Wars!, Vol. 12 by Yuto Tsukuda 4⭐

Can't really say anything because it's volume 12 but still enjoying Food Wars!

Locke & Key Vol. 1 by Joe Hill 4⭐

I do feel for the characters because of the tragedy they went through, but I hope future volumes I get to learn more about them.

Some possibilities for the next week

I got Milk and Honey, Nocturnal, and Bent at the Spine currently borrowed from Hoopla. All 3 of them are poetry books. Still trying to work on Helter Skelter and How to Understand Your Gender. I need to read Mooncakes for Netgalley and hello, Non-binary werewolf! Yes please! And I nearly forgot Lughnasadh is nearly here!

TV I Watched

iZombie Season 5 Ep 10-11 and Stranger Things 3 Ep 2-3. Love iZombie, Love Stranger Things. What more can I say?

Movies I Watched

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1939): 3.5⭐ Good movie but I liked the book better. I don't think it's the movie's fault though really, it did what it could.

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July 14th to July 20th, 2019 Weekly Wrap Up

What I Finished Reading

Titles in this section link to my (sometimes fuller) reviews on Goodreads.

Feed by Mira Grant 4.5⭐

I loved Feed! It definitely had a slow start but I didn't mind it one bit. I loved the characters, the blogging atmosphere, the politics. More of a political thriller that just happens to have some zombies in it than a zombie novel, but I ate it up! Made me think a bit and that ending RIPPED OUT MY HEART!

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 5⭐

A quiet gothic horror novel. I found Merricat and Constance mentally ill and in need of some therapy. I won't spoil anything here, just giving my own thoughts about it. It definitely made me think a little bit and in it's own way did terrify me. I felt for Merricat and Constance, and no that doesn't mean I condone their actions. One can have sympathy for someone without condoning their actions. I'm sure i'm going to need to re-read this in the future. I can totally see a town acting like the townsfolk in the novel do. They didn't know anything but acted like they did, and instead of actually figuring anything out or leaving it be, just decided to terrorize. I am trying to avoid saying spoiler-y things here otherwise i'd say more.

Honey Girl by Lisa Freeman 1⭐

I feel AWFUL about this but I just couldn't stand the characters. I don't think it's a bad book, just a bad book for ME. There are a bunch of stupid rules (girls can't surf, can't eat in front of guys, girls can't be smart etc.) that are some unwritten girl code they bow down to. I found the characters so irritating, stuck up and spoiled and could not wrap my head around any of it or them. I DNF'd at 65 pages because if I had to read one more page I was going to scream. I am very sorry for multiple reasons. If it sounds more your thing, please do pick it up. I'm just very disappointed because my sapphic summer loving heart thought I was going to love it (and it took me years to finally get to it) and I was so wrong.

My pile of possibilities for the next week

I'm planning to participate in The Reading Rush (links to my profile) from the 22nd-28th and my TBR for that is: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Starfish, My Life as a White Trash Zombie, Alice, The Haunted Vagina, Locke & Key Vol. 1 and Food Wars! Vol. 12. I have also recently acquired a library card and now have Hoopla (hoopladigital.com) which is free. So I have currently borrowed (which I have for 3 weeks): Milk and Honey, Book Love and Bent at the Spine. I have Libby now to but my library didn't have those titles on it. Will I read ALL the things this week? No, I'm sure I will not (plus The Reading Rush goes into next week for blog purposes). But i'll read as much as I can! At least that's the plan.

TV I Watched

iZombie Season 5 Episode 9

Movies I Watched

The Lost World (1997) 5⭐

I read The Lost World earlier this year and finally got around to watching it! I absolutely loved it!

The Wild Thornberry's Movie (2002) 5⭐

I have seen this when I was a kid (I was 13 when it came out so teen). I still love it at 30! As a kid I wanted to BE Eliza Thornberry! The Wild Thornberry's was one of my FAVORITE childhood shows!

I rented The Lost World on Amazon and borrowed The Wild Thornberry's Movie from Hoopla.

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