Top Ten Tuesday: Top 2017 Reads (so far)

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature/meme run by The Broke and the Bookish every week - I've taken part a few times previously but not in a while. And this weeks theme, as you can tell by the title, is a midway favorite books check in. I've read some great books so far this year and so am super looking forward to doing this list.

These are in any particular order - besides kinda being in the order I read them. (Also no rereads will be on this list) (and this is as of Monday June 26th, and I'm currently reading one I think could be on this list but not done quite yet)

• The Secret Lives of Rockstars by Suzanne Lazear

 I don't know what it was about this book that just made it click so much with me but I freaking loved this book. It was a little weird and I was just so into it. Our main character, Bitsy, is part of like a steampunk / punk band - there are costumes - and they're currently on tour. Also there's a whole underworld of fantasy creatures and shenanigans ensure (of course). And, for some reason, I just loved it? (goodreads)

• Binti + Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor

You've probably heard people waxing poetry about Binti by now and it is nowhere near not deserved. This series, so far, has blown me away. It's gone in directions I didn't expect it to go, and just thoroughly amazed me. I am dying to read the third one and, also, to read something else by this author. I'm pretty sure she's officially an autobuy for me. After two novella's. (series goodreads)

• Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

This came out - I had no idea it was coming out - and so many people were freaking out about it that I just ended up picking it up because I knew: bi girl, conventions/YTers. And I go to, and love, conventions. And this didn't let me down? It was adorable and incredible. One of the characters is bisexual and Asian, another has anxiety and is on the autism spectrum. And I just - loved this? It was so cute at points I think I got cavities. (goodreads)

• Even This Page is White by Vivek Shraya

Whew. This was... a read. It was incredible - obviously, or it wouldn't be on this list - but it really reminded me to check myself. I'm constantly trying to better myself (I guess is the way to put it) and unlearn things society has tried to force on me. Generally, just be a person with empathy and I think I'm to that, but this poetry collection reminded me of how much I can't know because I'm white. Definitely recommend this one for all (goodreads)

• Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

This book. It's a YA contemporary and, for some reason, I never expect those to hit me in the gut but some of them do. This one, especially, for some reason. I think, probably, because there was no romance between our two main characters - one is bi, the other is demi. And it's said, on the page. He's still figuring it out but by the end: demisexual. I think I ascended to a higher plain of being? The friendships in this book, the characters, the WTNV references. Highly, highly recommend

(Trigger warnings: parental abuse (not to our POV character), dog death) (goodreads)

• Words of Radiance + Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive series. Somehow, I' just never got around to the second one - I think I was mostly just terrified it couldn't live up to the first for me but also I get anxiety about books if I think about it too hard and never read them. The same with Bands of Mourning - Mistborn / Wax and Wayne #6. Neither disappointed, though, both were incredible. If you haven't checked out Sanderson yet: start with the original Mistborn trilogy, I promise it isn't as scary as it seems. Ignore the whole cosmere thing - just jump into that world first, you won't regret it. (stormlight) (mistborn)

• Injection, Volumes 1 + 2 by Warren Ellis, 

This series is fucking weird. And I love it. Technically I've read volume 1 previously but it felt weird to add volume 2 without 1, especially considering I can't really talk about volume 2. I don't even think I can explain the plot of this one. It's Warren Ellis and it has weird, fucked up elements. And I'm really, really hoping there's more? (series goodreads)

• Lumberjanes, Volumes 5 + 6 by Noelle Stevenson, 

This comic series is so good. It's just... so happy? It makes me feel like everything isn't going horribly wrong? They're battling problems but they can figure them out together and they're all adorable. There are bigger things lurking around the edges but, honestly, I'm fine with continuing with their camp adventures forever (literally forever. please never stop, Boom!) (series goodreads)

• 27 Hours by Tristina Wright

One of, if not my number one, most anticipated books of the year. It comes out in October and you've all have got to keep your eyes out for it. This book features five characters - 4/5 are PoC, 5/5 are queer (ones pan, ones gay, one ace, ones bi, one is trans and also not straight). And the plot isn't lacking in anyway, but the characters definitely kept me reading. They're just so... I love them? I want them to all be happy, together, and I just love them all together? For the actual plot - it's SciFi - goodreads.

(Honestly, I've read a lot of good books so far this read. Really good books. And I'm pretty sure this is my favorite of the whole year so far. And I'm sorry I'm shouting about it months before it comes out but I have a lot of feelings about it - October 3rd!!)

• Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

I just was trying to decide between this one and others so I'm going to put honorable mentions down below. Anyway - this one. An asexual main character - the labels used. And there's a great flashback of her like basically googling and finding forums and just generally trying to learn about herself. (If memory serves both demisexual and greysexual are mentioned). And I just... this book was so fucking cute. And it made me so happy at the end even though it was predictable. (It also gave me severe Lizzie Bennet Diary vibes because of the webseries thing). (goodreads)

Honorable Mentions: Not Your Sidekick by C.B.Lee, Timekeeper by Tara Sim, Going Through the Motions (Stake Sauce #2) by RoAnna Sylver, Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal, So Sweet by Rebekah Weatherspoon, Defying Convention by Cecil Wilde, Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Sex Object by Jessica Valenti

#30DayBookBinge Challenge + June Reading Plans

This is an idea/challenge from The Book Rat, Misty - her post with the video, printables. And it's a low stress (to me, at least) 30 day challenge to read every day for the month of June, because my month wasn't going to busy enough anyway without adding this, right?

I'm hoping I can read something every day but considering I leave the day this posts for NYC/BEA and don't get back until Monday night, and then have friends visiting two weeks later. Oh, and also have a business trip coming up after that. Yeah, it's going to be a little intense/crazy of a month.

Oh, and it's my birthday month, I keep forgetting that (There's also a book release at the end of the month in NY I want to get to).

I guess that's all I've got to say on that - try and read every day, the printables Misty put up are super pretty (also her latest book haul had kittens in it, recommend her YouTube in general but also kittens).

Now, general June reading plans!

I have probably like 10+ books that's I'm currently reading, so I'd really like to knock a few of them off. The first I'll probably finish is Lord of Shadows since I've only got about 200 pages left - don't know why I haven't finished it yet, just not feeling it (probably because I have a feeling both my ships aren't going to be a thing, and I like Emma as a character but meh about their romance) (also I miss Jem and Tessa).

I've also started Stranger than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer - cause it sounded fun and my library had it - but I might DNF it (I'm trying to do this more?). Maybe one of you knows if it gets better but the way he's talking about fanfic authors and also kind of YouTubers (though the seconds a little different just cause of the characters POV). Still, neither made me feel comfortable as someone who has written and read fic, it honestly pissed me off a little.

I've also started Elantris - the last cosmere book I haven't read before - and also have bookmarks in: Two Boys Kissing, Timekeeper, Neverwhere, Heir to the Shadows, IT, and probably others I just can't think of at the moment.

However, it's also Pride month and so I want to read, at least, a few LGBTQIA+ books - at least two of my currently reading actually fit that, so that's good. I would want to read primarily queer books, and I own more then enough, but I'm too much of a mood reader to ever do that for anything. It'd be kind of cool if there was like a week long readathon, though, I think.

I'm going to try and post individual reviews that I haven't posted yet for LGBTQIA+ books to celebrate - here and then cross-posting on Amazon and goodreads to help the author, it's one of my goals this month.

May 2017 | Monthly Wrap Up

Another month gone and I'm already stressing about how crazy busy June is going to be - two trips, a weekend of friends staying with me. It's going to be awesome but super stressful. Before w get to the wrap up, the first trip I'm going on is BEA/BookCon. BEA changed it's rules for bloggers - they can still go, technically, but man is it hard. I'm going on Friday under my family's business and then BookCon.

I'm kind of worried about how crazy BookCon is going to be? (So if you've gone, let me know your experience). I was at BEA for the first year they did BookCon and left pretty fast on that BookCon day because honestly terrifying. I've only got a few books in mind that I want to pick up - specifically 27 Hours by Tristina Wright. And, of course, I've seen ARCS of Holly Black's The Cruel Prince but I don't even have hopes to get up.

Anyway - I'll definitely have a wrap up post after BEA and maybe a vlog to go with it? I'm kind of hoping to also finally visit The Strand? I've been to NYC too many times to count, at this point, for cons or whatever and, somehow, I've never gotten to The Strand. I'm ashamed. Hopefully this time!!

Books:

• Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archives #2) by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
• The Allow of Law (Wax and Wayne, #1) by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
• Shadows of Self (Wax and Wayne #2) by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
• The Bands of Mourning (Wax and Wayne #3) by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (4/5)
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (5/5)
• Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (4/5)
• Going Through the Motions (Stake Sauce Stories #1) by RoAnna Sylver (4/5)
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I finished Words of Radiance this month, which seems impossible. And then got caught up on the other Mistborn series - two were rereads - and it's been weeks now and the ending of The Bands of Mourning still has me broken? I love all the stuff he's written and I've read so far - Stormlight is definitely at the top just because of the scale of it but god Mistborn is also good, was going to reread this month but didn't end up happening - hopefully next month?

Besides fangirling about Sanderson, I think I do that enough, I also ended up rereading Perkin's companion series because one of my best friends mentioned it and... and then I had accidentally reread all three of them? That's normal right?

The first Stake Sauce story I rated so high mostly because - well, obviously, I really dam enjoyed it? Way more then I expected to, actually, but also I can see how as we get more stories and the world gets bigger it could be awesome. (Also one of the vamps we see has bubblegum pink hair? And I kind of want to be his best friend?) (Also there's bat turning, into it).

Another reread - American Gods. I've been loving the show so much until this last episode made me hesitant about how far it's drifting from the book? It's still really damn amazing even if it is, honestly, and I know Gaiman's been involved in the show so I've got hope for it still being good. (Ricky Whittle is amazing as Shadow. And Gillian Anderson as Media, I could probably write a whole post just explaining how much I love her?)

So it was a fantastic reading month in my opinion, even though I didn't read as much as I could of, it was still quite a bit and pretty quality. Let me know what you read this month or are currently reading! And if you're going to be in New York for this book event.

On the Blog:

First Quarter | Wrap Up, Goals Update

April 2017 | Monthly Wrap Up

2017 Reading Goals

2017 Challenges | #DiversityBingo2017 + #DiverseReads2016

Bout of Books 19 | Kick Off

Bout of Books 19 | TBR, Goals, Update Post