A Colloquy on Books

2020. It felt more like a decade at times. I know people would love to forget about 2020, leave the past in the past and just move on but it was an extraordinary year in terms of reading. On January 1st 2020, I set my personal reading goal for the year: 100 books. I thought to myself, “I read 130 books last year but I am going to be much busier this year so 100 books is a totally reasonable and achievable goal.” As it turned out, I went into quarantine in March which led to me reading all the time. I hit my 100 books goal sometime around the end of July. Due to quarantine, I read a total of 153 books in 2020, a little more that 150% of my initial goal. Reading Statistics Books Read: 153 books Pages Read: 51,070 pages Average Pages Per Book: 333 pages Average Pages Read Per Day: 139.54 pages Average Rating: 3.2 out of 5 stars. Out of all the books that I read and reviewed this year ( My 2020 Reviews ), I wanted to share my top ten books of 2020. In order to narrow down the list to ...

When food editor Olivia Shaw’s mother passes away, Olivia is shocked to learn that she has inherited an estate and a title to go with it. Olivia leaves San Francisco, still reeling with grief and shock, to uncover the things that her mother has been hiding from her. As soon as she sees the manor, Rosemere Priory, she recognizes it as the subject of her mother’s paintings. But Olivia still can’t figure out why her mother never talked about it and why her mother let such a beautiful building fall into disrepair. In order to look for answers Olivia begins digging into her mother’s past. As she goes digging, Olivia realizes the manor with peeling wallpaper, broken rooms, and growing vines hides inconceivable secrets. Even though her life back in San Francisco is calling her name, Olivia finds herself falling in love with the delightful English town as well as the residents. But to make the best decision Olivia has to first uncover all of the secrets that Rosemere Priory is hiding behind it...

Vee has always been behind the scenes. Whether it be the costume and makeup artist for her school’s plays or the shadow to her best friend, Sydney, Vee is comfortable away from the spotlight. Vee decides to play Nerve, the game of dares, but she isn’t sure if she’s cut out for it. But Nerve knows exactly how to keep her playing, tempting her with amazing prizes, the shoes she wanted, a hot partner, and much much more. Her partner, Ian, gives her the courage that she needs to keep going but the game is slowly getting deadlier and deadlier. How far will Vee go to win those prizes? Is she willing to put her own life at risk to win everything that her heart has desired? Let me start by saying, I watched the movie before I read the book. Actually when I watched the movie I had no idea that there was a book. A couple weeks ago, I was browsing in the library when Nerve caught my eye. So I picked it up and decided to give it a shot. The first thing that you are probably wondering is: was the b...

Charlie can not wait for the upcoming weekend. Her older sister is getting married and for the first time in forever all of her siblings will be together in the same house. After years of not being with her siblings, Charlie wants this weekend to be absolutely perfect. It is their last chance to all be together in their childhood home before the house is sold off. Joking around with her siblings and spending time with them is the only thing that matters to Charlie. She can’t be bothered to think about what college she is going to or even the fact that her longtime crush is back in town. She is desperate to make the weekend perfect. So, of course, the weekend is an absolute disaster. The house alarm won’t stop going off, the papergirl is holding a grudge, there is an unexpected dog who loves to howl, the relatives are feuding, her favorite brother brought home an awful girl, the neighbor is bent on sabotage, the tuxedo can not be found, and the wedding planner’s nephew is cute to the po...

Beware of the spoilers to  Front Lines  and Silver Stars that lurk beyond this message... This is the powerful and epic conclusion to the Front Lines series. Rainy, Rio, and Frangie have been through a lot. In North Africa and Sicily, they feared, they braved, they sacrificed, and they fought for their lives. Their mission is far from over because June 6th, 1944 is approaching. The three of them must prepare to fight the deadliest battle of their lives as they descend onto Omaha Beach with thousands of Allied soldiers to fight for their countries and their lives. Frangie, Rainy, and Rio are no longer green soldiers, they are the most experienced ones. They are battle-hardened Silver Star recipients and the other soldiers now look up to them for confidence, guidance, and support. But this is the worst war in human history, millions of lives will be lost, bodies and limbs will pile, flesh will turn into charcoal, and blood will run freely. The girls, Rio, Frangie, and R...

Beware of the spoilers to Front Lines that lurk beyond this message... Rio, Frangie, and Rainy survived the North African campaign and are ready for their next battle. The Germans have been hurt by these three girls and their siblings in arms but they are far from defeated. As the girls and the American Army move to Sicily for the next showdown, Rio, Frangie, and Rainy will be tested like never before. Even though they know the lengths that they will go to save their own lives, the three of them will find this to be one of the most difficult battles of their lives. The world thinks that these three women along with thousands of other girls are heroes who should be praised, but they are not heroes, they are soldiers. So far, too much blood has been spilled, millions of lives have been lost, there is opportunity for gain, and an endless siege is looking to break them. At the end of the day, they will face the war until they win or until they die. Ahhhhh Silver Stars . The sequ...

It’s 1942. The second World War is well under way. Millions of lives have been lost and millions more will be lost. The war-hardened Axis powers are taking on the untested American Army but there’s something different about them. A court decision in the United States has led to the Army drafting men and women. This is a World War in which both genders fight. Rio Richlin, Rainey Schulterman, and Frangie Marr, sign up to fight. All three of them are normal girls with normal lives. They have their hopes and dreams. They are at the cusp of adulthood, starting their lives. Each girl has her own reason for volunteering. Each of them believes that they will never see combat. All three of them have parts to play in the most terrible war the world has ever seen. They will suffer and inflict suffering, they will hate and they will love, they will fear and they will find the courage. They will fight to save the human race and defeat evil. I am going to do my best to write this review of wha...

Lady Katherine has lost all that she knows and loves. Her father is killed for illegally practicing Catholicism and she has nothing left in this world. With nothing to lose, Katherine thirsts for revenge against Queen Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare’s newest play which shall be performed for Her Majesty is the perfect opportunity for Katherine to avenge the death of her father. Unfortunately for her, the play is a tool to find insurrectionists and squash the rebellion. A tool that is wielded by Toby Ellis, a young spy. When Katherine disguised as a boy and Toby are cast as the leads in the play they must fight their attraction to one another. The closer they get the more danger they put themselves in. They must decide if they can pay the price of star-crossed love or if they can survive without the other. Before I start talking about how the book was and all of that good stuff, let me tell you how I chose this book. You’ve probably heard the phrase, "Don't judge a boo...

Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers to  The Throne of Glass  series, if you would like to avoid them please skip Heir of Fire . Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass by: Fredrick Douglass Fredrick Douglass was a slave who educated himself through sheer determination, become a freeman, and managed to become one of the greatest American writers, and orators. 2 stars. Outliers: The Story of Success by: Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell explores the world of "outliers:" the most famous, most successful, the brightest. He wonders what makes them different? Most would say it in what they are but Malcolm Gladwell claims its where they are from. He explains what made the Beatles the greatest rock band, why Asians are so good at math, and the secrets of software billionaires. 5 stars. How to Win Friends and Influence People by: Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie's classic book that teaches you how to get people to like you and how to change a person's mind witho...

Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers to The Throne of Glass , if you wish to avoid them please skip The Crown of Midnight . This post also contains spoilers to The False Prince  and The Runaway King , if you wish to avoid them please skip The Shadow Throne .   AsapSCIENCE: Answers to the World's Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Uneexplained Phenomena by: Mitchell Moffit + Greg Brown A book that answers all the weird questions that you never got to ask in science class. Answers brought to you by the AsapSCIENCE YouTube channel creators, presented in an entertaining format. Your questions will be answered, asap. 5 stars. Chasing Impossible by: Katie McGarry Abby lets only a few people get to know her. It's common sense in her town that she deals drugs, but not even her closest know why. Abby is suddenly in danger as a drug deal goes bad and she has to lean on Logan, a daredevil who's spirit matches hers. Together they will have to make the choice of...

Disclaimer: This post contains some minor spoilers to the books  Red Rising  and  Die For Me , if you wish to avoid these spoilers please do not read the summaries for  Golden Son  and  Until I Die . Otto is lost and alone in a forbidden forest where he meets three sisters and becomes intertwined in their story through a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Decades later the harmonica lands in the hands of three children with daunting tasks: Friedrich from Germany, Mike from Pennslyvania, and Ivy in Californa. They have to rescue a father, protect a brother, and keep a family together. But the thread of destiny connects them all in ways they do not know... 5 stars. Golden Son, the sequel the Pierce Brown's breathtaking first book, Red Rising, continues Darrow's story and struggle to lead his oppressed people into freedom. He is now fully embedded into Gold Society and is working on destroying the system from within. But the stakes are ...

Taylor Greer grew up in Kentucky had two goals: don't get pregnant and get away. As she is in the process of getting away, Taylor acquires a three year old Indian girl. Motherhood is suddenly thrust upon Taylor as she has to struggle to survive in the emptiest of places. 4 stars. The death of Kate's parents leave her devastated and in Paris with her grandparents. The only way she can handle this loss is by drowning herself in the world of books and art. That is until she meets Vincent, a revenant, a undead boy who must sacrifice himself over and over again to save others. Will this relationship ever work out safely? 3 stars. A civil war is brewing Carthya. Connor has devised a plan to find an impersonator for the long lost prince and make him the prince. Four orphans have been recruited to compete for a spot, including Sage, a defiant fourteen year old. Sage knows that Connor is a liar but Sage's life is at stake. As more and more lies are uncovered, it might j...