Books Via Ashley

This post is especially for white people. We need to educate ourselves on what it means to be black in the US. Beyond listening to my POC (that's People of Color) friends when they speak about the injustices and prejudices they face, and following more POC on social media to gain a broader perspective, I also read as much as I can. These are six books I think are very helpful to understanding the history and reality of black people in the United States. Fiction 1) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Starr witnesses her unarmed friend get shot by a police officer and decides to speak out. I think this book should be required reading in all schools. 2) Americanah   by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ifemelu moves to the US from Nigeria and learns for the first time what it means to be "black". 3) The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead In this book, the Underground Railroad is a literal thing that helps Cora escape from slavery in Georgia. But with a slave...

So you really liked The Hunger Games and want some more of that sweet sweet dystoptian YA feeling. I'm guessing you've already read Divergent by Veronica Roth and Maze Runner by James Dashner (if not, were you even part of the YA dystopian craze??). Here are some other series I think you'll enjoy: Red Rising by Pierce Brown Basically Hunger Games in Space with super evolved humans. The main character is of the lowest caste (a Red) and fakes his way to the very top of society in order to take them down. ***Content Warning*** This book has a lot of violence (about the same as HG), and there is high use of profanity. Partials by Dan Wells One of the most underrated series in my humble opinion. 99% of the world's population has been wiped out by a weaponized virus during the war with the Partials—engineered organic super-humans—and no new babies are being born. Sixteen year old Kira is trying to find a solution. When a supply run ends with them capturing ...

Hello everyone! *waves* Remember how I said I was "back" and then didn't post anything for tover a year? Well now with this global pandemic I finally am returning to this blog. Lots of people are reading more than ever now, and I've had many people ask me to recommend various books. So I thought I'd do some posts more along those themes, and perhaps the occasional book review sprinkled in between. Today, the theme is inspired by traveling and exploring. I, like many of you, am tired of being stuck inside and unable to travel. One of the thing I love most about books is it's a way to escape and go on a new adventure. And I especially love books about finding a new world, ones that capture that awe and fascination and magical sense of a new place. It calls to that part deep within me that longs to see stunning vistas and meet new people and get to know a culture different from my own. Here are five books that capture that feeling, and will leave you aching t...

Sadie by Courtney Summers Synopsis (from Goodreads) Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water. But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him. When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late. Review This book was brutal and gut-wrenching and I couldn't put it down. The story is told with two narratives. The first is from West's point of...

I took a rather long hiatus, didn't I? Between work suddenly becoming very busy (I own my own business), a couple deaths in my family, and the holiday season, I haven't had the bandwidth to do much else. I have  been reading, and now I'm determined to keep up with my reviews again, especially for some eARCs that I still have. Anyway, look forward to some new posts, an updated Instagram, and more books!

And another month has come and gone! Sometimes I feel like I get the most reading done during my busiest months? I don't know how that works because it seems like a paradox, but maybe my mind just needs to chill more when I'm busier. Anyway! In August I read ELEVEN books! Your Soul is a River - Nikita Gill (5 stars) Red Sister - Mark Lawrence (4.5 stars) Meet Cute - Various Authors (4 stars) The Rogue Not Taken - Sarah McLean (4 stars) Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik (5 stars) Wicked and the Wallflower - Sarah McLean (3 stars) Because You Love To Hate Me - Various Authors (2 stars) Alanna: The First Adventure - Tamora Pierce (4.5 stars) [ reread ] In The Hands of the Goddess - Tamora Pierce (4.5 stars) [ reread ] The Woman Who Rides Like A Man - Tamora Pierce (4.5 stars) [ reread ] Lioness Rampant - Tamora Pierce (4.5 stars) [ reread ] So, first of all, I reread one of my FAVORITE series from when I was younger, The Song Of The Lioness quar...

July has come and gone! It was a busy and slow month for me, reading-wise. I only read 5 books! Outrun the Wind - Elizabeth Tammi (3.5 stars) The Princess in Black - Shannon Hale and Dean Hale (3.5 stars) Lifelike  - Jay Kristoff (4.5 stars) Circe - Madeline Miller (4.5 stars) You Are A Badass - Jen Sincero (4 stars) The last three books of the month were really good. I buddy read Lifelike and Circe with a friend and they were great to read along with someone else! Badass  was a really good boost and motivator and just what I needed to read right now! I started a lot of books in July, but haven't finished them yet, or finished them in the last couple days (so they don't count for July). On my August TBR... So many books! Seriously! I've got some great ones on hold at the library, plus a few interesting ARCs to read. Looking forward most to Foundaryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. A seriously amazing author (Brandon Sanderson blurbed him sooooooo...

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater Books in the Series The Raven Boys The Dream Thieves Blue Lily, Lily Blue The Raven King First Book Synopsis (from Goodreads) Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who ...

June was a bit slow in terms of books. I feel like June went by SO FAST but I was so busy I didn't get that much reading done. I mean, I still read 5 books (though one is technically a novella that I read in a day), so that's not nothing, but I definitely felt like my momentum from the previous months waned. The Queens of Innis Lear - Tessa Gratton (5 stars) Beneath a Sugar Sky - Seanan McGuire (4 stars) The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater (4 stars) Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater (4 stars) The Raven King - Maggie Stiefvater (3.5 stars) Geekerella - Ashley Poston (4 stars) So first off, the Queens of Innis Lear was stunning. I did a buddy read and it was perfect! It's definitely going on my top books of 2018. You can read more on my full review, linked in the title above. Sugar Sky was the third novella in a series, and again some beautiful writing. I finished the Raven Cycle series and it was so good and unique. Look for a review of the ...

Geekerella by Ashley Poston Synopsis (from Goodreads) Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first. Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Dari...

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton Synopsis (from Goodreads) The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes. The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Regan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted. Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided. Review Holy. Freaking. Crap. THIS BOOK. ...

Alright! We're almost halfway through 2018! In January I posted about which books I was looking forward to the first half of the year. I think for future posts like this I'm going to break it down into overlapping thirds because it's hard to know what books are coming out more than six months ahead. What books are you looking forward to? Tell me in the comments! June Sweet Black Waves  - Kristina Pérez June 5 A retelling of Tristan and Isolde! Rage  (Stormheart #2) - Cora Carmack June 11 The sequel to  Roar , second book in the trilogy! A Reaper At The Gates  (Ember #3) - Sabaa Tahir June 12 The third book in the  Ember in the Ashes  series July Calculating Stars  - Mary Robinette Rowal July 3 Elma York dreams of being the first Lady Astronaut. Spinning Silver  - Naomi Novak 10 July A unique retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. The Supervillain and Me  - Danielle Banas July 10 This seems like a fun twist on the superh...

May was a CRAZY month. It was my birthday at the beginning of the month, and then we went on vacation at the end, with lots of work in between! I had so much going on, and yet I still read ten books! Sky in the Deep - Adrienne Young (5 stars) The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller (3 stars) A Court of Frost and Starlight - Sarah J. Maas (3 stars) Down Among the Sticks and Bones - Seanan McGuire (4.5 stars) The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater (4 stars) Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire (4.5 stars) [ reread ] Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman (4 stars) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (4 stars) Nothing But Sky - Amy Trueblood (3 stars) Beyond a Darkened Shore - Jessica Leake (4 stars) I finally seem to be getting out of my book slump! I really enjoyed most the books I read this month. Most Anticipated was Sky in the Deep . What a beautiful story about love and redemption. The plot itself is simple, but the characte...

This was a BUSY month, lots of work and other things going on! This month was quite varied with my reading. I read some AMAZING books, and some that were meh. Also read a few long books (600+ pages), but that was interspersed with some quick reads (~300 pages) A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas [reread] (4.5 stars) The Wicked Deep - Shea Ernshaw (4 stars) Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins (3 stars) The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur (4 stars) Daughter of the Siren Queen - Tricia Levenseller (3 stars) Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda  - Becky Albertalli (4.5 stars) A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness (2.5 stars) One Of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus (4.5 stars) Obsidio - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (5 stars) Okay, first off, Obsidio was AMAZING. It's the third in the Illuminae trilogy and holy cow... So many feels. I was on the edge of my seat while reading. Up until 3 am. The whole she-bang. I would HIGHLY recommend t...

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Synopsis (from Goodreads) A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. Review First of all, this book would have benefited from being AT LEAST 200 pages shorter. There was just so much... stuff in the middle that really didn't contribute to anything. I felt like I ...

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King *I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* WARNING: Spoilers for The Hundredth Queen  and The Fire Queen ! Synopsis (from Goodreads) Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon. . . . Kalinda soon realizes that the demon has tainted her with a cold poison, rendering her fire uncontrollable. But the lack of control may be just what she needs to send the demon back to the darkest depths of the Void. To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts—and risk losing those most loyal to her—to defeat the demon and bring peace to a divided nation. Review This book picks up right where the second book ends. For me, it was a little slow in the beginning and made it hard for me to get back into the world, but once that action got going I was drawn in. These books have ro...

The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross Synopsis (from Goodreads) When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. . . . However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron. Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes. Review Just a lovely, beautiful book. I really enjoyed reading it. It just kept growing and unfolding into a bi...

Well my book slump certainly ended... I also read a lot of shorter books this month. This month felt like it went by so fast, but also looking back it seems like the beginning of the month was so long ago! What is this weird time warp?! Anyway, I read 11 books this month! Sourdough - Robin Sloan (4 stars) The Hazel Wood - Melissa Albert (4 stars) Robots vs Fairies - Dominik Parisien [editor] (4 stars) Percy Jackson's Greek Gods - Rick Riordan (3 stars) The Demigod Files - Rick Riordan (3 stars) The Demigod Diaries - Rick Riordan (3 stars) the princess saves herself in this one - Amanda Lovelace (4.5 stars) The Radical Element - Jessica Spotswood [editor] (4 stars) The Queen's Rising - Rebecca Ross (4.5 stars) Women & Power - Mary Beard (4.5 stars) A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas [reread] (4.5 stars) I was still on a slight Rick Riordan kick this month. There's just so much out there to read! And I liked reading some of the l...

February was kind of a crazy month. We traveled for a friend's wedding (which was so fun and lovely), and then upon our return home I was sick, got slightly better, then my husband got the flu and I also got sick again (though I had never really gotten better). So my energy level has just been really low. I also had a lot of books to read from NetGalley which I had procrastinated and then was trying to frantically read, but I was also kind of in a book funk this month. Nothing really satisfied what I was craving (not even sure what it is!), so I started a LOT of books, only to move on to something else. I'll go back to those books eventually, but I didn't finish them last month. However, in February I read 7 books! So that's something for being in a reading slump. The Blood of Olympus  - Rick Riordan (4 stars) The Sword of Summer  - Rick Riordan (3.5 stars) The Hidden Oracle  - Rick Riordan (3.5 stars) The Cruel Prince  - Holly Black (2.5 stars) Percy Jack...

Map of Shadows by J. F. Penn *I received free copy to review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review* Synopsis (from Goodreads) When her Grandfather is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Sienna Farren inherits his map shop in the ancient city of Bath, England. Once there, she discovers that her family is bound up with the Ministry of Maps, a mysterious agency who maintain the borders between this world and the Uncharted. With the help of Mila Wendell, a traveller on the canals, Sienna discovers her own magical ability and a terrifying place of blood that awaits in the world beyond. But when she discovers a truth about her past and the Borderlands begin to push through the defenses, Sienna must join the team of Mapwalkers on their mission to find the Map of Shadows – whatever the cost. In a place written out of history, a world off the edge of the map, Sienna must risk everything to find her father … and her true path as a Mapwalker. Review This book had ...