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Monday Cleaning Day

Dee’s Reading Tree

I’ve actually been looking forward to doing this all week. I went a little TBR happy for a few days there adding everything and anything to my list. Now every time I look at it my OCD starts getting to me. Just like last Monday I organized my Goodreads TBR list in reverse chronological order. I then chose the first ten books and decided to keep or delete it. I obviously skipped the books I decided were keepers last Monday.

Marked (Eternal Guardians, #1) by Elisabeth Naughton

I read one of Naughton’s books a long time ago, it’s called Wait for Me, and it was published in 2011. At the time I was into these romance novels, but this is not that time.

Delete 😦

Rapture (The Elfin, #2) by Quinn Loftis and Surrender (The Elfin, #3)

I did like the first in this series, but once again that was many years ago and I don’t think I will continue on with it. The recent reviews for it are bad, and many of my friends on Goodreads also agree that this series went downhill.

Delete 😦

Consumed (Firefighters, #1) and The Thief (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #16)

Like I said on my Guilty Pleasures post, I have to be in a certain mood to read J.R. Ward books. I have heard a lot of great things about both of these books, especially The Thief. I do love me some Brotherhood vampires every once in a while.

Keep 🙂

Glitter (Glitter, #1) and Earthbound (Earthbound, #1) by Aprilynne Pike

These books have really bad reviews from everyone on Goodreads. I remember reading a few of Pike’s books when I was a teenager, but I think I have outgrown them. It’s a shame, because the Glitter cover is so gorgeous.

Delete 😦

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’ve been looking forward to this book which will be out in June. I really liked her Wicked series. I found it really fun and entertaining. Before that I enjoyed the Lux series.

Keep 🙂

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

I’ve never read one of Weber’s books, but I have heard great things about this one, and that cover is gorgeous.

Keep 🙂

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Once again this is another one I’ve heard lots of good things about. Everyone on my Goodreads friends list agrees this is a keeper. Also, look at that cover! I am a sucker for pretty covers.

Keep 🙂

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

I think I added to my TBR list to recommend it to a friend who likes these type of books and then I forgot about it. I have since told said friend and deleted it.

Delete 😦

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I understand I’m way behind the times with this one. Everyone says it’s great. It has just been sitting there on my TBR list and I have struggled to get to it, but I will!

Keep 🙂

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

I really liked Flame in the Mist, but I struggled to get through Smoke in the Sun and eventually DNF it. I will attempt to read it again soon. But this one I’m really excited about because I love vampires, also the cover! It’s coming out October 8, 2019.

Keep 🙂

Once again I do realize I ended up talking about thirteen books and deleted six of them, but only because they were by the same author or part of a series. My OCD is thanking me 🙂

Have you done any deleting in your TBR list lately? Do you avoid looking at it sometimes like I do?

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Five books I DNF

Dee’s Reading Tree

I hate, hate, one more time, hate not finishing books, but sometimes I just can’t drag myself through it. I strongly feel that reading should be enjoyable, and if I’m not enjoying it then I should stop. These are five recent books that I tried to read, but unfortunately did not finish. Be warned, there might be some unpopular opinions in here, sorry not sorry. I might try to read some of these again, but some not so much.

Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard

I actually own a physical copy of this book. I bought it without thinking because I loved the first one so much. But this one missed the mark by a long shot. I hated Mare the main character, and when I hate the main character and cannot find any redeeming quality at all then that leaves no hope for the whole book. Mare turned so boring and whiny, I couldn’t take it. Some people say the series gets better, maybe I will try again someday.

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices, #2) by Cassandra Clare

I love Cassandra Clare books, and I love the whole shadow hunter universe, but I struggled with this one. I somehow got through the first book in the series, after putting it down a lot of times. The whole forbidden love thing was not doing it for me, especially because there was no easy fix to it, like in the Immortal Instruments series. These characters loved each other and they couldn’t be together, and I honestly couldn’t take it anymore. I might try reading it again someday, but not any day soon.

Wildcard (Warcross, #2) by Marie Lu

I liked the first one in this series, and I felt like it was a very unique story. Then, this second one was so boring. I liked the main character Emika, she is tough and has a lot of good qualities I look for in a strong female lead. Maybe I will find the will to stick to it in the future, but for now this is a DNF for me.

Glow (Sky Chasers, #1) by Amy Kathleen Ryan

I honestly don’t know why I ever bought this book. I must’ve not read the synopsis on Goodreads, because it clearly says: “The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls.” If I would’ve read that I would’ve never attempted to read this book, because I have a hard time dealing with rape, especially when it involves children. I’m not saying rape was involved, they might’ve just been planning to use in-vitro fertilization or something, I’m not sure. The creepy direction the narrative was veering off into made me think that they were not going the in-vitro route. This book just became too uncomfortable for me to keep reading.

Wintersong (Wintersong, #1) by S. Jae-Jones

Everything about this book was boring. The main character, Liesl, was terrible, I couldn’t stand her. Her whole family was also awful as well. I stuck through a lot of it because of the musical aspect of it, but then found myself mad at Liesl for all her stupid decisions. Once I couldn’t find a single redeeming quality in this story, I stopped reading.

What are some of your DNF books? Are there any you would probably get burnt at the stake for voicing out loud in public?

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Bookish Bucket List

Dee’s Reading Tree

It’s Friday, and time for me to add some items to my book bucket list. A recap of last week, I added: read Moby Dick and Ana Karenina, go to London, and own the rest of Throne of Glass series.

Read the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Okay, so I realized if I don’t add these to some sort of list then I’m never going to read them. They’re not even on my TBR list anymore because I got tired of looking at them on there. First of all, the covers are terrible aren’t they? But, I did and I do love the movies, so I will make myself read these at some point. I’m sure I will feel so good after I do, like a giant weight, or maybe just 5 pounds or so, has been lifted off my shoulders.

Go to New York

New York is the setting for so many great books, including one of my favorite series The Immortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. It’s filled with giant buildings and the possibilities of so many bookstores just waiting to take all my money.

Own all the Shatter Me books

Can you believe I don’t actually own a single one of these? I love this series, and all Tahereh Mafi books, but I just own the e-books, or I have gotten them from the Library to read. The covers are amazing and I’m sure they will look great on my shelves soon!

I can’t wait to fulfill some of these. I will sure post about it on here. Drop me a comment and let me know about some of the bookish things you want to accomplish.

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A Very Large Expanse of the Sea Review

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, so you all know I love the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, if you didn’t then you know now, this book has nothing to do with the series, but it’s still amazing. This new novel is about a Muslim girl named Shirin, and the struggles she goes through post the events of 9/11. Shirin wears a hijab every day to school and in public, which makes her a target. She has endured so much hate in her life that she has put up giant walls to protect herself and her feelings. Then, she meets Ocean, a boy determined to bring those walls down brick by brick.

I think the whole point of this book cover was to relay the message: “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” which I feel is the main idea in this story. This cover is terrible, and staring at it for too long gives me a headache, but it didn’t stop me from reading the book and I hope it won’t deter you either.

I was stuck in another small town, trapped in another universe populated by the kind of people who’d only ever seen faces like mine on their evening news, and I hated it.”

shirin

The characters in this book were so real. Mafi has a way of delving into teenage angst and feelings like no other author I’ve ever read. I also like when those feelings are validated, like in the case of Shirin, and they’re not the product of teenage drama. I couldn’t help but fall in love with Shirin and her tough attitude. I could feel her internal debate and I was undecided along with her. On the one hand she wanted others to accept her for who she is. On the other, she was afraid that getting too close to people would only end up hurting her and hurting them in return.

Ocean was so direct, and he knew exactly what he wanted when it came to Shirin, although not so much when it came to his future career. He was so sweet I couldn’t help but cheer for him the whole time, while also being scared for him and his reputation like Shirin was.

If the decision you made has brought you close to humanity, then you’ve done the right thing.”

Shirin’s dad always had the best advice

I also liked Shirin’s no-nonsense parents, even if I thought they should’ve paid a bit more attention to the struggles their daughter was going through and what moving from school to school all the time could do to her. I could understand their need to move around in order to better themselves and do what they thought was best for their family. Her parents loved tradition, but they didn’t make her wear the hijab, she chose to wear it every day for her own reasons.

We broke apart, fighting to breathe, holding on to each other like were drowning, like we’d been lost, left for dead in a very large expanse of the sea.”

shirin

I loved this story, and I hope you will too.

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WWW Wednesday

Dee’s Reading Tree

On Wednesdays I share what I just read, what I’m currently reading, and what I plan on reading next.

What I just read:

1. The Sparrow -by Denna M. Davis ⭐️⭐️ (review pending on onlinebookclub.org)

I am not allowed to say much about the online book club reviews. I will post the link to it later on when it’s approved.

2. The Watchmaker’s Doctor -by G.M.T. Schuilling ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another online book club review which I posted yesterday.

3. The Wicked King -by Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I posted all about this amazing book last week ♥️

What I’m currently reading:

1. The Red Scrolls of Magic -by Cassandra Clare

This has been a much anticipated book on my TBR list. It came out this month and it just became available for me to read on Overdrive.

2. Crooked Kingdom -by Leigh Bardugo

This book started right in the middle of the action and I love it for now. I had to put it on hold to finish The Red Scrolls of Magic before it expires.

3. Legendary -by Stephanie Garber

This is a re-read because Finale (the 3rd book in this series) is coming out soon, and I had to brush up on the events of this book.

What I will read next:

1. One Dark Throne -by Kendare Blake

I better get to this one soon before I forget everything that happened on the first book.

2. Daughter of the Pirate King

I just picked this one up while on vacation. I heard the second one in the series is also really good.

That’s all for now guys!

What’s on your WWW lists? Leave a comment below!

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The Chemist Review

Dee’s Reading Tree

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer, we follow an ex-agent on the run from her previous employers, who have already sent several people to kill her. She used to work for a government organization so covert it doesn’t even have a name. Then, she receives a message from her former boss offering her a way out. They don’t call her “Oleander” for no reason. Our heroine has a very special set of skills and she knows how to use them. She will do anything it takes to clear her name and get the target off her back.

Don’t let hope make you stupid”

the chemist

I never thought Stephenie Meyer would be able to pull off a good adult fiction book (after The Host), but she did not disappoint. I don’t understand the bad reviews I have seen on Goodreads, maybe people were expecting another Twilight book?

The beginning is kind of slow, but I promise you it gets better. I felt it was necessary to describe the complex process our main character goes through every single day just to keep herself alive. The readers have to know why she is eventually willing to risk everything just to clear her name. Simply put, she can no longer live the way she does.

I cannot say much about the characters without ruining the plot. Remember this whole book is full of secrets, and you won’t even learn her real name for a while. The male character she falls in love with I thought was a super sweet guy. Their romance was realistic and endearing under the circumstances, like the fact they are mostly running for their lives.

The book had a lot of humor even though it was such a dark serious topic, and the interactions between characters were entertaining. Also, the dogs in this book! They are amazing! I don’t think I have ever used so many exclamation points. I wish I had dogs like that, so well trained and loyal.

Sometimes we cling to a mistake simply because it took so long to make”

the chemist

This book had a gripping plot full of twists and surprises. The action scenes had that “heist movie” feel where your heart pounds just reading it, and you can just see everything going on in your mind’s eye; while the whole time you are rooting for all these characters because it’s hard not to fall in love with them and want them to succeed. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes thrillers, and dogs 🙂

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Monday Cleaning Day

Dee’s Reading Tree

Monday is cleaning day in my household. My goal is always to get all the deep cleaning done in one day so I can spend the rest of the week doing other things, and only needing to touch up here and there.

This week I decided to do the same on my Goodreads TBR list. I have 70 books on there right now and it’s getting a bit out of control. I started by organizing the list in reverse order, filtered by the date the book was added so that the older books show up first. Then, I went through the first ten books. For each one I read the reviews of those who’s opinions I trust on my friends list, I also read the synopsis again, and finally I made a decision. Keep or delete.

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

I’m not even going to pretend I thought about deleting this one. I will always read anything Maas writes, even if it’s a narrative about watching water boil. This book is highly anticipated and I cannot wait for the cover reveal. I know it’s going to be epic.

Keep : )

Can’t wait for the cover reveal!!

Imagine Me (Shatter me, #6) by Tahereh Mafi

I’ll admit I was a little disappointed with the last book. I felt like it was more like a filler book, and it could’ve just been a novella. That said, I definitely want to finish this series and I hope Mafi will redeem herself with this one.

Keep 🙂

Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons, #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Please refer to book one on this post.

Keep 😉

Circe by Madeline Miller

I have never read a book by this author before which made me a bit hesitant. But, I currently have seventeen of my Goodreads friends who gave this book a good review. I also love books about Gods. It reminds me of the book Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

Keep 🙂

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns, #2) by Kendare Blake

I really liked the first one of this series, and I am really curious to know what happens next. Her books do start out a little slow, but once they pick up they’re great.

Keep 🙂

La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust, #1) by Philip Pullman

I really liked the whole Eragon series. But I think I have outgrown these type of books.

Delete 😦

Shadow of the Fox (Shadow of the Fox, #1) by Julie Kagawa

I love most of her books, except the Talon series, so this could be a hit or miss. I decided to read a sample before making a decision. The first sentence reads “It was raining the day Suki came to the Palace of the Sun, and it was raining the night that she died.” Well now I have to read it.

Keep 🙂

Untitled (Oxygen, #2) by Shelly Crane

I loved the first book called The Other Side of Gravity, but I have lost hope that she is ever going to write a second one. She wrote the first one back in 2016. I’ve been holding on to hope for too long and it’s time to let go. If she ever does write one I am sure I will find out.

Delete 😦

The Seeker and The Soul (The Host, #2 and #3) by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer wrote The Host in 2008, once again I’ve lost all hope. I’m starting to think she never really announced these for real and it was all made up by the fans.

Delete 😦

Hold on to Me and Melt for Me (Against All Odds, #2 and #3) by Elisabeth Naughton

I really liked the first book in this series Wait for Me, but I feel like it should’ve stayed a stand alone book. I was happy with the ending, an it looks like a lot of other reviewers felt the same.

Delete 😦

Okay, so really I ended up deciding on twelve books instead of ten, but only because some were part of a series. In the end I deleted six out of twelve books and it feels right. Like spring cleaning.

Were you sad or surprised I deleted any of these? Which ones would you definitely keep? Leave me a comment!

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My Guilty Pleasures

Dee’s Reading Tree

Do you have a certain genre that is not your usual cup of tea, but once in a while you just feel like reading one of those books? For me, it’s any book by Nicholas Sparks or J.R Ward. I know those two shouldn’t even be in the same sentence together, but hear me out.

And though you may call me a dreamer or fool or any other thing, I believe that anything is possible”

Noah -The Notebook

The last Nicholas Sparks book I read was Every Breath, and I was just in a light romantic mood. These are the only times I can read his books. Honestly, I don’t like how every main character always has daddy issues, but I do like the beach settings and I always find meaning in his work. My favorite books of his are The Notebook and The Longest Ride. Both movies were also great, but of course never as good as the books. By the way, The Notebook has been one of the only movies that made my husband cry (that and Marley and Me .p.s. if you love dogs just don’t put yourself through that). We are both hopeless romantics at heart, and this is why I have a soft spot for Nicholas Sparks books.

It’s strange, I think, the way our lives turn out. Moments of circumstance, when later combined with conscious decision and actions and a boatload of hope, can eventually forge a future that seems predestined”

Ira -The Longest Ride

My next guilty pleasure is J.R. Ward books. I came across my first book of hers when I was leisurely browsing through a drug store book isle for something quick to read. It was the first book from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series called Dark Lover. Being just out of High School and still besotted with the Twilight series, I saw “vampires” in the description and I was sold. It turned out to be an awesome book. It was fast paced and entertaining, albeit full of alpha males and testosterone spilling all over the pages, but I loved it.

From then on I was hooked. Now, every time I am in the mood for something full of humorous dialogue and a lot of action, I pick up one of these. There are currently seventeen of these books by the way, along with a shorter spin off series called Black Dagger Legacy. Also, a warning that her books contain very explicit sex scenes.

What are some of your reading guilty pleasures?

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Bookish Bucket List

Dee’s Reading Tree

I have a regular bucket list which includes things like “learn to drive stick-shift” and “help baby sea turtles reach the ocean.” Today, I realized there are many book related things I want to accomplish, and what better way keep track of them than with a Book Bucket List?

So without further rambling or reminiscing here are three things I’m adding:

Read Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Now I know what some of you are thinking. Half of you are saying: “What do you mean you haven’t read them? The other half are saying: “Why would you put yourself through that?” Because I can that’s why! Also, I have owned those two books forever and I feel that it’s time. I was just out of College when I got them, I attempted to read them and never really finished them. I had an English Lit professor who talked so passionately about them that I had to go and get them. I was probably not in the right frame of mind, but I will try again before I kick the bucket.

Go to London

Both Harry Potter and The Infernal Devices series were set there. I’ve always felt a connection to the gloomy gray streets of London, even if I have never physically been there. I’ve been there in mind and spirit, and I feel like I should come full circle and experience it in person. Also, I think a picture of me inside one of those red phone booths from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would be fantastic.

Own the rest of the Throne of Glass series

Okay, so for some obscure reason I ended up with only the first book and last book of this series. Once again I know what you’re thinking: Just buy them! No really, please tell me to just buy them so I can justify it to my bank account, and my husband. There are many other series that I need to complete or own, but this one really bothers me. First, because the covers are so gorgeous. And second, I have a big girl crush on Celaena (used this name on purpose not to ruin for others), and how awesome would it be to stare at her on my bookshelf ALL day on six different book covers?!.

Please drop me a comment and let me know what’s on your book bucket list? I would love to hear form you!