**Image by Jill 111 on Pixabay
As someone who struggles with a mood disorder, I find it difficult to predict what I’ll read. Still, I like to give myself goals for each season. Inspired by this week’s Top 10 Tuesday prompt, here are some of my top summer reads for 2018.
Airy fairy summer reads
10. Iron King by Julie Kagawa
I read the first book in this series ages ago, but have been collecting the series anyway. Fairies are mischievous, tricky, and dream-like in their natural appearance. For this summer, I want to read the series as a whole and experience some early YA simple joy.
9. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Cathrynne M. Valente
Dude, it’s a series of middle-grade or children’s books. Why am I so intimidated by it? This summer, I am going to be facing this fear and giving this series a try (or many tries). It looks really cute.
Some Werewolf Love
7. Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater
With its easy pace, the dropping temperatures, and sweet romance, I think this is going to be the perfect summer read for 2018. The first book in this series was beautiful and simple.
6. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I haven’t revisited this series in so long. It’s time to gather it again this summer and read it. Mostly, I am missing Jacob Black and his awesome group of friends. And, yes, I guess Edward and Bella are kind of missed as well.
Fallen Angels and Flying People for Summer Reads 2018
5. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
This summer is going to be about reading the fun things that I did not allow myself to enjoy. Hush, Hush is a wonderful story about a fallen angel. Yes, it is an “old” series and it’s not without flaws. I want to give myself the freedom and space to be a fangirl.
4. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Funny and sweet, this trilogy was beyond what my younger self could accept as something I “could” enjoy. Like, I don’t know, this is an ongoing struggle to embrace what I like, even if I am “too old.”
The Cutesy Books for Summer Reads 2018
3.Wake by Amanda Hocking
Actually, I am including just one title, but I want to go through as many Amanda Hocking books as possible. This summer is about engaging with older books because I do not want to feel pressured into reading certain books just to fit in.
2-1. Some fairies, demigods, and supernatural things
- Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr–I am not sure if this is a cutesy series. But, the covers are beautiful. I only have the first book in the series right now. However, I am so ready for it this summer.
- Percy Jackson/Rick Riordan books
- Sarah Rees Brennan books
Your Turn:
What are you looking forward to reading this summer? Do you have any stories you love to revisit every summer?
Week 3 of June included a loss of my blog’s purpose. In a sense, I have started searching for ways to broaden my focus. Blogging for a Dummy would have been an excellent book for me to read. I am being honest about my struggle to find my place within the blogging community, as a whole umbrella term. So, yes, this post is a wrap-up but also an exploration of what it is like to be blogging as a dummy and reading young adult books (slowly). You’ll see why in a minute.
My opinion on this book fluctuates. After distancing myself from it, I have come to like the romance in it. Furthermore, the complicated dad figure in this book is perfection.
In this case, the dad figure is a grandfather. This dad figure has a secret and it really tears her image to a mess. I like it a lot. It’s such a plot twist, too, and I could’ve never seen it coming.
Another book I am not too sure about because, surprise, the dad figure is so frustrating. He is so driven by guilt and love that he dismisses his daughter’s value as a person. It strikes a nerve, I suppose.
Oh, this story changed everything for me because it inspired a sense of wonder in my world. A lot of people criticized this book for being rooted in privilege. Most people can’t check out of their lives and spend a year traveling around the globe.
Traveling performers are not usually the types of shows I like to attend. To be honest, there are no shows I’d like to visit. The last thing I’d ever attended in public was probably my sister’s ballet show or her choir performances.
You probably know already (at this point) that I don’t like reading David Levithan books. Naturally, this story was not my favorite. Still, the way Pride was described in this book was lovely. I like the way the two main characters bond with this incredible event in the background.
Yes, I know that people found this story romanticizing of illnesses. I don’t see it that way at all. This is a story of two people coming to terms with their mortality. In addition, there is a debate furling throughout the novel in regards to legacy.
Listen. The story of this family coming to celebrate their right to be acknowledged by the law of the land…it was so beautiful to read. Granted, the traveling involved in this story is a bit smaller in terms of scale. I loved it, though. The metros and the buses, walking to people’s homes, all of it felt so real and tangible.
Okay, I know I have talked about this book way too much. Listen, it’s not just the way Prague comes to life in the story. No, it’s the way Karou and Zuzana navigate the city that makes it just a breathtaking experience.
The idea of a road trip is frightening to me. I don’t think I can handle being in a car with someone all day. Nope.
No, I don’t want to go to Victorian London. Present-day London would suffice. I like books that throw in some landmarks throughout the story. When authors do this, the book seems to come to life even more. London in this trilogy, in particular, was vivid.
What’s better than traveling to alternate Londons? Nothing. That’s the correct answer. Seriously though, I like the idea of different versions of the same place. It reminds me to keep an open mind. Plus, I like Kel and Lila’s approach to travel. I’d come along.
Way back in February, I went to the library and grabbed my first Sarah J. Maas book. It was her first published novel, Throne of Glass. My nervousness as a people pleaser was an all-time high. This was the case because Sarah J. Maas has been criticized a lot over the years on Book-Tube. Reading Sarah J. Maas’ books now is a form of self-care and expression to me. Let me discuss this further.
Evelyn Skye’s Crown’s Game involves two magicians dueling and competing to become powerful figures in their society. It is kind of in the vein of A Shadow Bright and Burning in terms of including magic as a central way of being influential.
Oh, Cramathon, why are you so tough. I haven’t made it far into Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman, a historical fiction novel (kind of?). It’s definitely out of my comfort zone because it has a lot of characters that I have not been able to distinguish between them.
Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds has been on my TBR for a long time, so I can take advantage of Cramathon and take on this book. It’ll be a good way to integrate more series for me to experience over the next week.
I have a couple of Adam Silvera books that are unread. It’s a toss-up between his History is All You Left Me or They Both Die at the End. I may go rogue and read a Patrick Ness book. I have his More Than This novel.
My favorite colors tend to be around the purple-pink-red range. There are two options for this challenge. First, And I Darken by Kiersten White. It has the same historical feel that Legacy of Kings has. I am not sure if that will work or if I will be turned off by too much history.
I am thinking of taking on another two series this Cramathon. Morgan Rhodes’ Falling Kingdoms is high on my priorities list. Perhaps I can use this Cramathon to give the first book a try. I am mostly concerned with the flow of other series in my TBR. What if they all require time to get into their stories? Only one way to find out.
I have ordered a copy of the first two book in this (so far) trilogy. Feyre is all over Tumblr and I want to see if she will resonate with me, or if some other character will strike a sense of familiarity and representation.
The first three books in the series were all I could afford for now. The plan is to pick up a book or two per month, depending on how much they cost at that point. As I was able to read the first five books from the library, I want to make my purchases up until Tower of Dawn and maybe reread parts of Empire of Storms when I get my own copy as well.
I picked up the first book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. While the series received mixed responses, I like what I have seen from the fandom on Tumblr and YouTube. Besides, I enjoyed the author’s ideas when she was on a panel with Sarah J. Maas, Alexandra Bracken, and Susan Dennard. The panel brought joy to me, so much that I often think of the discussion brought up within said panel.