bookish list

5 Books I Read Because Everyone Else Was Reading Them

Sofia @ BookishWanderess10 Comments

5 books I read because everyone else was reading themI’m definitely one of those people who gets caught up in the hype and ends up reading books because everyone else seems to be reading them. It doesn’t happen with everybook, but if I had a bit of interest in that book before and I start to see it everywhere, there’s a big chance I’ll inmidiately pick it up. So, today I decided to talk about 5 books I read in the first half of 2017 because everyone else seemed to be reading them. 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 

When I first heard about this book I was so excited to read it, but by the time it came out I  wasn’t as excited anymore. Nonetheless, the week this was released it was everywhere. I saw reviews of this in almost ever single blog I follow, so my excitement was back and I read it. I ended up really liking it, I thought the concept of an arranged marriage in a contemporary setting was really interesting and the story was so cute.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

Is there any book that has been more hyped this year that The Hate U Give? I really don’t think so. Everyone seems to have read this and loved it and I’m no exception. This was  such a heartbreaking book and it was really hard to read because the situations the characters end up in were so enraging. At the same time, it has amazing family dynamics, great friendships, it has interesting storylines for all the characters and it has great representation.

The Melody of You and Me by M. Hollis 

This book is not what I would define as a popular book, but most people I follow on Twitter have read this book and loved it. There was a point like 2 months ago where everyone seem to be reading this and so I read it as well. Unfortunately,  I ended up not loving this book. It has so many good things a pansexual main character, a lesbian filipino love interest, sex positivity and female masturbation, but I couldn’t get pass the very week writing.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E, Schwab

The last book in this series came out this year and everyone was talking about it, so that finally convinced me to start this series. I know this is cheating a little bit  because people were talking about the last book and not this one, buuuuut….  I’m gonna count it anyway because I actually read the entire series in one go and I loved it. It had amazing characters and I shipped Kell and Lila so much. Also, the world building and magic system were interesting and captivating.

 Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I’m cheating a little bit with this one as well, because everyone was talking about the tv show that’s based on this book and not the book itself. But still, it was everywhere! I actually started to watch the  tv show first and then decided to read this book. At the end, I felt like the tv show made some really good changes and that made me like it more, but I still really enjoyed the book.

Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? What books have you read this year because everyone else was reading them? 

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#ownvoices · 9 Books Monday · Diverse Books

9 Books with Lesbian Main Characters

Sofia @ BookishWanderess2 Comments

9 books lesbian

Hey guys! I’m finally out of my blogging slump and I couldn’t be happier. To get back into schedule, I decided to start with 9 Books Monday, which is a feature here on Bookish Wanderess where I talk about books that are focused on marginalized group (Here are the 9 Books Monday posts I have written so far). The idea is that on Mondays, I’ll talk about 9 books that have positive representation for a minority/marginalized group.

This series is not only to recommend books that I have read to you and to talk about books I want to read, this series is also a reminder to me that I need to expand my reading and search for books that allow me to know other cultures, perspectives and ways of life. Today, I will talk about 9 books with lesbian main characters.

3 Books I Read and Loved

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

A lesbian biracial girl + references to the movie industry: things about set design, location scouting, casting, shooting + a small mystery +  a lovely and quiet romance. I had so much fun when I read this and I have heard nothing but good things for #ownvoices reviewers. Maybe that has to do with this being an #ownvoices book!

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera 

This is one of my favorite books of all times. The main character in this book is Latinx and queer (#ownvoices!) and I love the fact that this books deals with a lot of important subjects related to intersectional feminism.  Also, this is #Ownvoices.

Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne

This book has two main characters: an Australian-indian lesbian girl and a bisexual girl. The book is about a competition- where both girls meet- that’s similar to a model UN but it takes place in a summer camp. This book not only has great representation, it also has a very interesting concep and it’s not that well known, so you should check it out!

3 Books on my TBR 

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

Lesbian pirates + giant sea animals + intriguing plot = what more could I need? I can’t wait to read this, it sounds like something I would love and I have heard nothing but good things from #ownvoices readers.

As I Descended by Robin Tally

A Macbeth retelling that has Hispanic characters and folklore, an f/f romance, an m/m romance and a disabled character. I can’t not wait to read this, I’m really intrigued!

We are Okay by Nina LaCour

This is a slow and  quiet story about grief and at the center of it are two girls that used to be in a relationship and that haven’t seen each other in a while. I have heard great things about the way the representation. Honestly, I liked Everything Leads to You so much that I’m really excited to read another Nina LaCour book.

3 Books Releasing Soon 

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell by Avon Gale (September 25th 2017 )

An indie rock band that’s going on tour + a female lead singer + a classically trained female violinist + kisses and lots of chemestry = the perfect contemporary that I want to read RIGHT NOW! That’s all I have to say about this one.

A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo (October 17th 2017 )

This is a phycological thriller with various queer female characters and a Chinese main character. I’m really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and especially by the cover. I have never read any book by Malinda Lo, but I have heard amazing things about all of them and about the representations in them. I can’t wait to read this one.

Spinning by Tillie Walden (September 12th 2017)

A graphic novel about figure skating and coming out, but also about outgrowing a passion. It sounds fascinating, especially because I have never read anything about figure skating. I haven’t hear that much about it, so I’m not sure about the representation but I’m hoping is good.

Have you read any of these books? did you enjoy them? Are you planning on reading any of them? Do you have recommendations for books with lesbian main characters? 

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#ownvoices · bookish list · Diverse Books

6 Anticipated Releases by Latinx Authors (Seconf Half of 2017)

Sofia @ BookishWanderess6 Comments

6 anticipated releases by latinx authorsI have been trying to increase the amount of books I read that are written by Latinx Authors for a long time now, but I keep feeling like I don’t try hard enough. I think about doing it often and I planned to do it all the time, but I think I don’t take as much actions to actually do it. As a Latina myself, I feel like I need to commit to this goal of reading more books by Latinx authors and promoting those books on my blog as well.

That’s why, I looked up the releases for the second half of 2017 written by latinx authors and I chose some that sounded interesting to me and that I wanted to read. All these books not only are written by latinx authors, they also have latinx main characters.

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez (August 22nd 2017)

A girl who loves Punk + a conservative school with an strict dress code + misfits that create a punk band + illustrations and collage art because the main character loves zines= what else do I need to say?! Even if I don’t read middle grade often, this one sounds amazing!

The Closest I’ve Come by Fred Aceves (November 7th 2017)

A kid with an absentee mother + an abusive stepfather + who lives in a poor neighborhood + he wants to find love in his life and wants to leave his neighborhood behind +  a program for troubled teens with potential = a story about a boy that learns that bravery is about being true to yourself. I’m interested in seeing how the conversation about poverty, abuse and dysfunctional families is handled. That’s definitely makes me really want to read this book.

The Victoria in my Head by Janelle Milanes (September 19th 2017)

A shy teenager with the dream of being a rock star + overprotective Cuban parents + paralyzing-stage-fright + unattainably gorgeous boy = a story about a girl looking for the courage to confront her insecurities, fight for her dreams and love. A YA contemporary with a latinx main character that sounds like it’s NOT gonna be a sad, dark contemporary, it’s just what I need!

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (October 3rd 2017)

Magical realism + bisexual representation + amazing family dinamic + different kinds of relationships between women as a central part of the story +  Anna-Marie McLemore’s writing = the only thing I have to say is that I can’t wait! I loved When the Moon was Ours and I’m really excited to read another of McLemore’s books.

I am not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (October 17th 2017)

This book deals with grief and with learning that a person that it’s gone wasn’t as perfect as you thought, which to me is always a interesting concept, but the fact that this revolves around a mexican family makes a concept that is not that unique something really special.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (September 5th 2017)

In this book, people get told if they are gonna die in the next 24 hours and there’s an app called Last Friend that finds you someone to spend your last day with. It’s an interesting concept and there’s LGBTQ+ representation! I haven’t read any of Adam Silveras other books, but I’m really excited to finally read something by him. I haven’t hear anything but great things.

Are you planning on reading any of these books? Do you have recommendations for books written by latinx authors? Let me know in the comments! 

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wrap up

June 2017 Wrap Up

Sofia @ BookishWanderess4 Comments

 

monthly-wrap-up-1

June was a weird month for me, it was actually kind of a hard month. To begin with, I was in a reading slump and that always affects my mood so much. I did a bit of traveling in the first weeks of the month and even if I had a great time, I was having troubles with my boyfriend so I was sad and frustrated during the entire trip, and then I came home and break up with my boyfriend after 2 years together. And let’s remenber,  I WAS IN A READING SLUMP and it sucked, because I needed a distraction, a refuge and when that happens I usually turn to reading and I couldn’t.

Anyway, I did manage to read 5 books and here there are:

1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood  (4 stars)

I read this because I wanted to watch the tv show and I ended up really enjoying the book. It was not what I was expecting, the writing style and the way the story was told confused me at first and threw me off because it was not what I was expecting or what I’m used to. Nonetheless, the story in itself was interesting to read, the themes this book dealt with were fascinating and I found the ending to be really cool.

2.Doing it: let’s talk about sex by Hannah Witton (3 stars)

I follow Hannah on Youtube, so I have been hearing about her book for a while and I wasn’t that excited about it, but I decided to give it a chance. At the end, I found that this is a book for begginers, someone who is just starting to learn about gender roles, relationships, sex, the LGBTQ+ community and other subjects like that. Most of what she says in this book, I already knew, so that was what made this book a bit boring for me. One thing that I want to highlight is the fact that if she isn’t part of a community or hasn’t experienced a situation or an issue herself, she invited someone who is part of that communty or someone who experienced that to talk about it.

3.When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (4 stars)

I enjoyed this book so much, I had never read a book about a arranged marriage in a contemporary setting and I found it really interesting. I really liked the romance in this, the characters and the writing. I do have to admit that it took me a little bit of time to like Rishi, but I ended up enjoying his character.

4.Some Kind of Perfect by Becca and Krista Ritchie

This was the third time I have read this book, I was not in the mood to read anything, so I decided to read something I had already read and rated because that way my perception of a new book wouldn’t be affected by my mood. I love this series, so it was good to read about the characters again and this is an ‘epilogue book’ so it was nice to read the happily ever after. Also, re-reading this made me excited to read Damaged Like Us, which is a kind of continuation for this series.

A Storm of Swords 

5. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (4,5 stars)

This book took me so long to finish, because it’s huge! Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it, so many things happen, the characters all grow and change, and THAT ending! This is definitely my favorite book of the series so far.

 

  Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Do you want to read any of them? Let me know in the comments! 

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Life Update

Life Update: heartbreak and asking for book recommendations

Sofia @ BookishWanderess15 Comments

life update 2

Hi guys! I know I haven’t posted in a while, getting back into blogging consistently has been harder than what I thought it  was gonna be.

I’m sorry, because this post is not gonna be very interesting. This past few weeks have been hard because some things were happening in my relationship with my boyfriend and it was a very sad period of time. Last night, we finally decided to break up after a little over two years together and I have been in a cry fest since then. But this post isn’t about that.  I just wanted to ask for recommendations of books that I can read while going through hearbreak. Here are some of the things I’m looking for:

  • Books that made you laugh or made you happy
  • I usually read New Adult when I’m feeling anxious or sad, so if you have New Adult recommendations, those are welcome as well.
  • The easy to read, make you feel better type of YA Contemporary. ( I just finished When Dimple Met Rishi a few minutes ago and it really distracted me and help me stop feeling sad for a little bit).
  • Some fantasy or sci fi that has a good romance and it’s really entertaining may help as well.
  • If you can think of any other things that makes me feel better, go ahead and tell me below.
  • Also, it can be a movie or tv show that made you laugh or made you happy, or that you  think it would be entertaining and it would distract me right now.

That’s it! Thank you for reading this and please let me your recommendations in the comments.

wrap up

May 2017 Wrap Up

Sofia @ BookishWanderess1 Comment

wrap-up-3

During the month of May I was doing my last finals of my last semester of Uni (I mean, I still have to do a intership next semester before graduating, but no more classes! Yay!). Because of that, my anxiety was out of control and the only thing that seem to help was reading new adult, so that’s what I did for most of May. Here are the 11 books I read in May:

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)

A Court of Wings and RuinThis was a very anticipated realese for me. Sadly, it wasn’t as good as I expected. Even if I did enjoy it a lot. I think everything went a bit too perfectly for the main characters, I feel like it was easy to tell that this was written in a rush and also there was so many elements of the story that weren’t tied up well enough ( I know there’s more books, but still…). I still enjoyed this book a lot mainly because of the characters and because of Nesta and Cassian (my babies, who need to be the main characters in the next books!)

Books 1 – 3 of the Winston Brothers Series by Penny Reid

Truth and Beard: 3 stars/ Grin and Beard it: 3,6 stars / Beard Science: 3,8 stars

Winston-Brothers-1-650x325

I want to start by saying that Penny Reid’s books got me through finals and I will be forever grateful.

With that out of the way, I want to start by saying that I didn’t read this series in order. I had heard great things about the second book (Grin and Beard it ) and really bad things about the first one (Truth or Beard). Because of that, I started by the second book,  then read the third (Beard Science) and after enjoying both of them, I finally decided to give the first one a chance.

The second and third book have amazing romances, even if the couple of the third book is my favorite. Also, the dialogue in the second book is especially good, it feels natural and realistic. I liked the couple in the first book the least and I also liked the brother who was the protagonist in that book the least. But I still enjoyed it.

All three books have in common that there’s some really steamy scenes and there is a really interesting family dynamic between the brothers. Each is completely different from the others and that makes the relationships between them complex and captivating. The family element is definitely one of my favorites. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

Book 1 -4 of the Knitting in the City Series by Penny Reid (3 stars for all 4 books)

knitting in the city

I didn’t read this series in order either! I started by the fourth book, Beauty and the Mustache, because is about the sister of the main characters in the Winston Brother series. It’s actually book #0.5 of the Winston Brothers series. After that I read book 2 (Friends without Benefits), Book 1 ( Neanderthal Seeks Human) and finally, book 3 (Love Hacked).

About this series, I can say that there are very diferent and unique female characters, and there are incredible female frienships. On the other hand, it’s not as steamy as I thought it was gonna be (not nearly as steamy as the Winston Brothers series) and in some cases the romances weren’t as snoony and incredible as I was hoping.

I’m not sure if I want to continue with this series. If you have read them, do you think I should continue?

Settling Up by Eryn Scott (3 stars)settling up

This was just ok. I liked the main characters and I liked the way their relationship developed. This was more on the cute side than the steamy side and maybe that’s why I was disappointed, because it was not what I was hoping for.

The Da Vinci Code ( 4 stars) & The Lost Symbol (3 stars) by Dan Brown 

Robert Langdon

I had big expectation for this books and even it didn’t completely met those expectations, I still found it fascinating. I feel like I learned a lot of cool things from reading it and I liked the interactions between Robert and Sophie, I think they made a good team.

I think the Lost Symbol is my least favorite of this series so far. There were a lot of parts that I found boring and it was not as interesting as the other, I think that’s because in this one Robert Langdon resists to believe the entire book and so all the knwoledge that he usually transmits wasn’t there. The thing I like the most about this book were the bits about noetic science, I found them fascinating.

  Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Do you want to read any of them? Let me know in the comments! 

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bookish list

5 Villains I Wish Would Get Their Own Books

Sofia @ BookishWanderess4 Comments

five villains i wish would get their own books

I’m one of those people who are really intrigued by villains and that’s why when I found a villain that I’m captivated by or particulary interested in, I end up wishing that I could get a book about them. In this post, I want to talk about 5 villains I wish would get their own books.

The Bonner Girls  (When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore)

The Bonner Girls definitely inspired this post. I would love to read about what happens to them after When the Moon was Ours, but also I would love a prequel about the period of time leading up to the ‘big event’ that changed their dynamic from what they used to be to what they are during When the Moon was Ours. I would love to get to know each one of the girls a lot more, understand who they are and what are their motivations,  and I would like to explore more the magic that seems to surrounder them.

Voldemort (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)

Since I reread the Harry Potter books last year, I have wanted a Voldemort prequel. It’s just that I’m not entirely sure about him as a villain and exploring his past may help him become a more complex and interesting character to me.  I want to know how did he get his power and his followers and how did he find out about the horocruxes. Basically, I want to know what happened in the period between the time that he left Hogwarts and when he came back looking for a job as a teacher. That means the period in which he changed from Tom Riddle to Voldermort.

Keris Veturia (An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir)

I haven’t read  the second book in this series, so I don’t know if we find out about The Commandant’s backstory. Nonetheless, I would love to read a book about  her time training, everything that happened leading to Elias’ birth, and also, how did she ended up working with the Nightbringer. She is this cold and seemingly heartless characters that intrigues me.

villains

Athos and Astrid Dane (Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab) 

I honestly would want a prequel with them mainly to explore White London a little bit more. It’s such a twisted and dangerous place and I think a whole book set there would be interesting. I  would also love to know how did Athos and Astrid became the cruel and vicious characters they were and I would like to know more about their relationship with each other.

The Court of Nightmares (A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas) 

I know this is not technically a villain, buuuuut since in my mind, everyone in the Court of Nightmares is a villain, I’m gonna count it in this list. I think it would be so interesting to read about a place where evil villains live together and read about all the horrors that situation can entail. It would be a really dark and twisted book.

Do you enjoy reading books from the POV of a villain?  What villains do you wish would get their own books? Let me know in the commets! 

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