Top 5 Books of 2016

It’s finally time to get down to this wrap up stuff. 2016 wasn’t that great of a reading year, overall, though I did read 80 books. I felt like a lot of it was meh, but there were 5 that really stood out. They were a super mix of books, really representing the weird and new turns that my reading was taking me. I’m starting to read a lot wider and broader, and consistently stuff I didn’t think I’d ever enjoy. Let’s take a look at my list!

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THE WEEKLY WRAP UPS THAT NEVER WERE!

Okay, these are still late. But you know what, these exist. We’re wrapping up the last two weeks in a weird, timey-wimey video that shows that we really did try to have these out on time. The editing just never happened because Michaela and I are struggling to find a new rhythm in our new post-grad lives. Please love us while we fix this kinks!

Monday, May 23

• Gretchen’s From the Notebook: Why There’s No Love Triangle in ACoMaF

Tuesday, May 24

• Gretchen’s Ruler of Books Tag
• Michaela’s Ruler of Books Tag

Wednesday, May 25

• Michaela’s Review of Vision: Little Worse Than a Man
• Gretchen’s Worth It Wednesday: Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Thursday, May 26

• Michaela’s Mon-Thursday Musing: Moving On Up!

Friday, May 27

• Gretchen’s Review of Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
• Michaela’s discussion Am I a Book Hoarder?

Monday, May 30

• Gretchen’s May Wrap Up

Tuesday, May 31

• Bibliomancy for Beginners Season 4, Episode 1: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Wednesday, June 1

• Gretchen’s Worth It Wednesday: The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce
• Michaela’s May Wrap Up

Friday, June 3

• Gretchen’s ARC Review of The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May
• Michaela’s Summer Reads Recommendations

 

ARC Review: “The Vanishing Throne” by Elizabeth May

Wow, what a trippy experience. I filmed this review back in February, and I haven’t even watched it since then. I am very, very enthusiastic about this book. Like a lot. How cute of past Gretchen. Anyways! Let’s just get started. In case you missed my long and storied history with this series, here’s my videos on the first book, The Falconer:

• Bibliomancy for Beginners: The Falconer by Elizabeth May
• Re-Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May
• 30 Seconds to Disagree: The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this eARC!

Weekly Wrap Up + What We Read 5/8/16

We’re back! This week, we had a higher number of reviews than normal (mostly because I actually helped Michaela out) and also a lot of other cool stuff! Also, I almost out-read Michaela, which is almost unheard of. Making a huge push as school comes to an end, I guess. Without further ado, here we go!

Monday: 

• Gretchen’s From the Notebook: Top 5 YA Trope Turnoffs
• Michaela’s April Wrap Up

Tuesday:

• 30 Seconds to Disagree: The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May
• 30 Seconds to Disagree: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs and Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Wednesday:

• Gretchen’s Worth It Wednesday on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Michaela’s April Comic Pull

Thursday:

• Gretchen’s Thesis Thursday: First Complete Draft is … Complete

Friday:

• Gretchen’s Review of The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
• Michaela’s Review of The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Saturday:

• Michaela’s Book and Movie Review of The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

30 Seconds to Disagree: “The Vanishing Throne” by Elizabeth May

Hey guys! This week, I’m getting really sneaky and trying to convince Michaela to read a book that hasn’t even come out yet. As you may know, Bibliomancy for Beginners did an episode on Elizabeth May’s first book in this series, The Falconer, a while ago and … Michaela and Taylor didn’t like it. I revisited the series when The Vanishing Throne came to me as an ARC and my opinion of the series changed so much that I re-reviewed The Falconer! Here’s a quick sneak peek as to why!

Don’t forget, we always do these in twos so don’t miss Michaela trying to convince me to read TWO books this week!

Re-Review: “The Falconer” by Elizabeth May

The Falconer (Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May

Goodreads | Amazon

Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

Three and a half stars

A long, long time ago (okay, back in 2014), Bibliomancy for Beginners did a hangout on Elizabeth May’s The Falconer. To say that Michaela–and especially Taylor–didn’t like it would be an understatement. I remember enjoying it, even if I didn’t love-love it. But, once the camera started going and we all started chatting, something about what I had loved got lost. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a HILARIOUS hangout and you should totally watch it. But almost two years later I have realized something important: I don’t think I was fair.