Top 10 Books of 2019

Hi everyone! It’s New Year’s Eve! I’m wishing all of you a wonderful 2020 full of happiness, love and so many great books! In my last post of 2019, I want to share with you my favorite books that I read in 2019 that are not romance books since I already posted my favorite romance books of 2019.

I had a lot of trouble deciding what books to include in this list and I finally narrowed down to ten. This list is in no particular other except for the first book, which is my favorite of the year. Without futher ado, here are my favorite books of 2019:

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

This is my favorite book of the year because it’s the book that has struck with me the most, I think about it constantly and everytime I do, I get so emotional. It’s not often that a book breaks my heart and makes me sob while also being hopeful, but this book managed to do just that. The writing is beautiful, the characters are flawed but lovable, the small town and the community that’s like a huge family are wonderful elements of the story, but my favorite aspects of this book are the complicated and bittersweet family dynamics and the brilliant way it explores the feelings of a granddaughter of immgrants: the feelings of confusion and guilt for belonging to two places at once, speaking biligual words, not knowing exactly where she comes from and not knowing what happened to the family that stayed behind.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

This book is magic, it reminded me why I love fantasy and it reminded me how awestruck I can be by a new magical, whimsical world. The writing is stunning and it sets a tone of wonder and curiosity and posibility, that goes perfectly with the mystery within the story. The main character Lazlo is precious and there are so many other fascinating and complicated characters, that it’s imposible not to root for them. I was so captivated by the discovery of what happened in weep and I was amazed by how the consequences of it are shown: the quiet and subtle sorrow and anger. The combination of all these things sucked me into this story of gods and monsters and made me feel invested until it hit me with the shocking and heartbreaking ending.

The Wicked King & The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing are highly entertaining, full of twist and turns, and brimming with complex and compelling characters and relationships. These two books are filled with angst, betrayal, deceive, lust, murder, mind games, viciousness and wit, all of it is so enthralling and intoxicating that you can help but be completly captivated by the story. My favorite character by far is Jude, a human in a fairy court, who manages to surprise the fairies by being smart and coniving. And my absolutely favorite thing about this series is Cardan and Jude’s relationship, which is angsty and complicated, but so intense and passionate. (review)

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

We Set the Dark on Fire captured my heart with two beautifully complex main characters, a forbidden love story,  fascinating mythology, an infuriating world and a flawed and complicated rebelious group. This book holds a really special place in my heart because it’s the respectful and wonderful Latinx representation that we have been waiting for in fantasy. Beyond all those amazing things, the strengh of this book lays in the way it addresses immigration, privilege, poverty and opression, because it manages to evoke so many emotions and be incredibly thought-provoking, it’s brilliantly done.

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

This book has five diverse main characters – queer, poc, struggling with mental health and trauma- that have distintive voices and personalies and one of my favorite things about this book is the way it seamlessly integrates the different aspects of the characters identities to the story. Moreover, I loved the way the relationships between the main characters is explored; there’s so many things that make the relationships between them complicated and STILL they love and trust each other and it’s so beautiful. Other great elements of the story are the twists and turns that are very well done and the pace that keeps the book entertaining and engaging the whole time. (review)

Before the Devil Break You by Libba Bray

This book has the same eery, creepy vibe that the other two books in this series and it’s one of my favorite things about it, there are some scenes in this book that made me so uneasy – specially the ones that take place at the asylum. I think one of the things this series does so well is that the plot keeps getting more and more complex and because of that, it manages to keep me interested in the whole mystery behind what’s happening and it makes me want to get to the bottom of all the secrets and lies. Also, I’m so invested in what’s gonna happened to the characters, specially Evie and Sam, I’m rooting so hard for them.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

This book takes place in a universe full of gods and goddesses from Indian lore, which gives a unique and intereting setting to the story. I loved that this book is full of political intrigue, sentient spaceships, floating cities, broken and complicated relationships. One of my favorite things about this book was one of the friendships that falls into the trope of the lazy prince that doesn’t care about anything except for the main character, which is a trope I love and that made me very emotional while reading this book. But the main reason this book is on this list is because of the ending, which shocked me and broke my heart and I hated it but at the same time it made sense and it was a good ending for the book.

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

This book has a fascinating magic system that revolves around dacing; incredible mythological creatures; a villain that’s cruel, mannipulative and conniving; two strong and resilient main characters; a slow-burn love story that’s so touching and beautiful that I get emotional everytime I think about it; and amazing writing that keep me gripped the entire time. This book does a great job at showing the fate of a conquered nation, how law and faith work together to maintain certain groups oppresed and the things people are capable of doing to others when those others are seen as less than human because of their differences.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This book is full of twists and turns and the unexpected. While it’s a very action pacted book- there’s a missil attack, a contagious disease that creates zombie like creatures, a defective AI that kills people – one of the strengths of the book lays in how much it makes you care about characters that you only see for a few pages, so that it’s very distressing and worrisome when bad things start happening to them. Another great thing about this book, is that it maneged to make me root for Kady and Ezra the entire time, I just wanted them to be together. Nonetheless, my favorite thing about this book were Kady and Aidan (the defective AI) and how complex and fascinating they were as characters and how devastating and engrossing their relationship was.

What were your favorite books of the year? Have you read any of the books on this list? Did you enjoy them?

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Latinx Book Bingo & Latinxathon + October 2019 Wrap Up | Blogmas Day 3

Hi everyone! I’m trying to catch up on wrap ups after my hiatus, so today I bring you what I read for the Latinx Book Bingo and the Latinxathon that took place from September 15 to October 15 and also what I read the last two weeks of October. I was planning on including my November wrap up in this post as well but I read 19 books in November and I think the post would end up being way too long.

Latinx Book Bingo & Latinxathon

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria (3,6 stars): I loved the unique premise of this book (a dance competition tv show), the main characters (a pro dancer and a reality tv star hero who lives in Alaska) and the relationship between them (so steamy!).

Dance With Me by Alexis Daria (3,7 stars): A puerto rican pro dancer and an Ukranian coreographer are friends with benefits who end up living together. I loved how each character had their own fears and insecurities and how they supported each other to get pass them.

News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (4,3 stars):  this is about the kidnapping of 9 journalist organized by Pablo Escobar in the 90s in Colombia and it’s incredibly well-written and a really fascinating book.

Ripped Pages by M. Hollis (3 stars): This is a short rapunzel retelling with a f/f relationship between princesses. The writing wasn’t great, the characters weren’t as three dimentional as I wanted and it was a novella so everything happened a bit too fast.

America Vol. 2 by Gabby Rivera (4 stars): This is a comic about a Latinx lesbian superhero, what else could I ask for?! I loved getting to know a bit more about America’s past and where she comes from.

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera (4 stars): The cuteness of the relationship in this book has no limits and I loved it! This has a m/m relationship between a food truck owner and a sexy librarian.

American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera (3,8 stars): An m/m romance between a Cuban-Jamaican social worker and a Dominican-American businessman with a cute daughter. This book was heartwarming and adorable.

American Love Story by Adriana Herrera (3,6 stars): This is a m/m romance that I enjoyed, but it’s my least favorite of the series because while it dealt with really important subjets, it became repetitive and it dragged a bit.

OCTOBER

Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn (3,6 stars): This has an interesting concept (a dating app that let’s parent choose the dates) and a great relationship between the main characters.

Tomboy by Avery Flynn (3,7 stars): I love a grumpy hero and this had a great one and I also love when the grumpy hero falls in love with a great woman, which this also has!

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray (4 stars): I loved this book as much as I loved the first two in the series. It has the same creepy vibe that the other two and the plot just keeps getting more complex and interesting. Also, I’m rooting for Evie and Sam so hard!

Cosas que piensas cuando te muerdes las uñas by Amalia Andrade (4 stars): a mixed media book about fears and anxiety by a Colombian author and artist. If you speak spanish, I would totally recommend this!

Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Did you enjoy them? Do you want to read any of them?

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10 Books I Want to Read in 2019

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about 10 books I want to read in 2019 that are NOT 2018 releases. That post is coming soon! I did a post like this at the beginning of 2018  and it helped me remember some books that I really wanted to read, so I didn’t lose sight of them in the sea of new releases, and I’m hoping it will do the same this year!

 

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro: In this book, Sherlock and Watson were real people and their descendants find themeselve thrown together and solving crimes. That premise sound so COOL! I have been curious about this book since it came out like 2 years ago and so many people I trust love it, so I really need to get to it!

 

 

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King: A retired cop haunted by an unsolved crime gets a letter from the culprit where he threatens a more diabolical attack and the cop has to prevent it.  I love stories where there’s a cop/ P.I./ Journalist trying to solve a mystery, so this is right up my alley.  Also, I really want to read a full novel written by King, I ahve only read short stories and his book about writing.

 

 

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel: A little girl finds a giant metal hand. Seventeen years later, she’s still looking for answers, now as a highly trained physicist leading a top-secret team. I have heard so many amazing things about this book and now that all the books in the series are out, I feel like it’s the perfect time because I can marathon it.

 

 

Bird Box by Josh Malerman: Something is out there and it must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. A family has to go in a terrifying journey to escape. I have gotten into scary/ spooky books in 2018 and someone recommended this, so I want to give it a chance. Also, the movie is coming out soon!

 

 

And I Darken by Kiersten White: This a gender-swapped version of Vlad the Impaler and I’m so here for it! The concept sounds intriguing and I have heard great things about the characters, I think I’m really going to like the main character, Lada. I just have a feeling I’ll love this.

 

 

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: Lazlo Strange is obsessed with the lost city of Weep, and then one day, someone starts to recruit people to help save this city and Lalzo does everything he can to be apart of that team. Most people I I know have given 5 stars to this book, so I put it in my 5 star predictions post and I’m hoping to love it as well!  

 

 

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray: This is the third book in The Diviners series, which it’s set in the 1920s and follows a group of people with different abilities that have to solve mysteries and face ghosts, curses and evil spirits. I have said this before, but the only reason I haven’t read this book is that we don’t  have a release date for the fourth book yet 😭 But I can’t wait anymore!

 

 

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir: The Sequel to An Ember in Ashes a roman inspired fantasy about Laia, who is a slave, and Elias, who is a soldier. Neither is free and their destinies are intertwined. Another one I have been meaning to read for a long time (do you see the theme of this post?!)

 

 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Jane has been hired by the brooding, proud Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit and she falls in love. But what is he hiding? Everyone seems to love this and I have been meaning to read it, but I have tried twice and I haven’t made it past page 30, so this is the last chance I’m giving this book.

 

 

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: This books describes Dante’s descent into Hell with Virgil as a guide; his ascent of Mount Purgatory and encounter with his dead love, Beatrice; and finally, his arrival in Heaven. I have been meaning to read this for the longest time but I felt intimidated. I’m participating in a book club at the beginning of 2019 and we are gonna read this one, so I’m finally getting to it!

 

What books do you want to read in 2019? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Are you planning on reading any of them? 

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Spooky Books I Didn’t Read in October, But I Still Want to Read

I was planning to read some spooky books in October, but unfortunately that didn’t happen, which doesn’t surprise me, because everytime I make plans related to my reading, I fail to actually go through with them. I was hosting the Latinx Book Bingo until October 15th and my idea was to read the spooky books during the last half of the month, but I had forgotten that Kingdom of Ash was coming out the 23rd of October and that it was 900 freaking pages long, so I spent the last days of the month reading this huge book that was the final installment in one of my favorite fantasy series and there was no time for spooky books 😞

Now, the reason I’m writing this post is because for a lot of people, me included, October is THE month to read spooky books, but I don’t want to wait until next year,  I still want to read the books even if October is over, so here’s a list of some spooky books that I’m hoping to read soon:

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

This is the third book in The Diviners series, which it’s set in the twenties and follows a group of people with different abilities that have to solve mysteries and face ghosts, curses and evil spirits. 

The Diviners series is one of my favorite paranormal series of all times and I can’t wait to read the next book. The only reason I haven’t read it already is that I’m a bit nervous because we don’t even have a release date for the fourth book yet 😭 WHAT IF THE THIRD BOOK ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER?!

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man. Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early. 

I have been hearing everyone and their mother talk about this book and people seem to love it, so I want to know what all the hype is about. Also, the premise sounds creepy and it has me intriged.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming. 

I have been meaning to read a Gillian Flynn book for years and I always thought that I would read Gone Girl first, BUT I love Amy Adams and I want to watch the adaptation of Sharp Objects where she plays the main character, so it seems I’ll be starting with this one 🤷🏾‍♀️

 

Miss Peregrine’s House for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 

A family tragedy sets Jacob journeying to a remote island, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.

I never had any intention of reading this book, I watched the movie and thought it was just alright, but I recently met someone who loves this series and it’s their favorite series of all times, so I kind of want to give it a chance.

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Cass can see ghosts and when she goes to Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead and she tells Cassidy that their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her mission, but she knows the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world.

I’m a huge fan of Victoria Schwab and this sounds like a fun and fast read. Something like Ghostbusters in a middle grade version. I’m here for it!

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 

 It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

I had never heard of this book and I haven’t watched the movies based on it, but the Netflix show was released recently and I want to watch it, so I thought I could give the book a chance as well.

Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? What spooky books would you recommend? What spooky book are you looking forward to reading?  

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