Hey book nerds!

I am back. The last few weeks were an absolute perfect storm of awfulness involving giant needles (at least it seemed that way) in my knee, pain, exhaustion, a midterm, two term papers, family drama, and a minor breakdown. How I survived is an absolute mystery, but the good news is that I’m back. Today I wanted to talk about diverse books, specifically which diverse books I want to read.

In August, there were a ton of readathons. I chose to participate in Draconathon, but one of the fascinating ones I wish I could have joined was Diversify That Shelf readathon created by Noura at The Perks of Being Noura on Twitter. These prompts are amazing.

With permission from Noura, here is the graphic.

Here is what my TBR would be if I was participating and some extras that I really want to read eventually. I’ll list all the prompts that these books could match and I’m going to be skipping some of the prompts that are met by many other books. For example, I’m white and American. Pretty much everything will meet the Different Culture than You prompt for me.

Prompt 1: Diverse Middle Grade

Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor is the second book in this author’s Akata series. I recently read Akata Witch and gave it 4/5 stars. Its amazing and I cannot wait to get the second book. The Akata series tells the story of American born, Nigerian Sunny, who finds out that she has magical powers. It is based in West African jujuism, mythology, and folklore. This also fits the prompts, Different Culture than You, By a Black Author, Own Voice, POC on the cover.

Honorable mentions:

Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano. This is the story of Leo Logrono, who lives in the shadow of her five older sisters. She is convinced they are leaving her out of something important in the running of the family bakery in their small Texan town. Leo finds a book and discovers that her sisters are using magic. Being a younger sister, she naturally decides its time to catch up despite her sisters’ warnings. And well things just don’t go the way its supposed to. Also satisfies the prompts: Different Culture than You, By a Latinx Author, Own Voices.

The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta. On her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in New Jersey. Then her parents vanish, a rakkhosh demon shows up in her kitchen, and she finds out she’s an interdimensional demon slayer who has to travel to another world filled with magical creatures in order to find her parents. This sounds amazing. Also fits the prompts: Different Culture than You, South Asian inspired,

Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo. Charlie Hernandez grew up listening to his abuela’s stories about monsters and ghouls on the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. Despite his abuela’s hints that they’re more than stories, Charlie is completely content with roots. Then one day, Charlie starts going through changes that are paralleled in his favorite myth. He is thrust into an ancient battle between two secret societies with the help of his lifelong crush and his grandmother’s stories to navigate this new world. Also satisfies the prompts: Different Culture than You, By a Latinx Author, Own Voices.

Prompt 2: By a Black Author

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown tells two stories. One is the story of Malik, whose sister is kidnapped by a vengeful spirit. The spirit demands Malik kill the Crown Princess, Karina, for his sister’s freedom. Karina’s mother, the Sultana, was assassinated and grief-stricken, scared, and unsure, she decides to resurrect her mother. The spell requires a crucial ingredient, the beating heart of a King. Now she must marry and she holds a contest to find a husband, a contest Malik is determined to win to save his sister.

Other prompts: Different culture than you, POC on the cover

Prompt 3: South Asian Inspired

Star Daughter tells the story of Sheetal, the daughter of a star and a mortal man. She does her best to act and appear normal, until her star magic flares and her father ends up in the hospital. To heal her father, she needs the help of a full star, like her mother who returned the skies long ago. Sheetal must head to the celestial kingdom, takes up the mantle of her family’s champion in a deadly competition, and save her father.

Other prompts: Different culture than you, nonwestern setting, POC on cover, own voice.

Noura has inspired me to devote a series to diverse books that I want to read. Unfortunately, this readathon is already over, but I hope it inspires you too. Tune in next time for part 2!

Hey book nerds!

I am back with Part 2 of Cleaning out my GoodReads TBR! I also started a companion series on my YouTube channel, which I’ll leave at the bottom of this page. We left off with The Chronicles of Chrestomanci. Let’s sort through the next 10!

Added: September 26, 2012

Dragon’s Bait tells the story of a girl named Alys, who is accused of witchcraft by an ambitious family who wants the land her father’s shop sits on. Although she is not a witch, they stake her on the hill for a dragon to feast on. The dragon arrives and it might be the perfect ally.

At 196 pages, this would be a super quick read and it would probably be a fun read. Vivian Vande Velde writes stand-alone books that bridge the gap between middle grade and young adult. I really enjoyed several of her other books, and it would be a lot of fun to see if this follows that.

Verdict: Keep, probably won’t buy it though.

Added: September 26, 2012

Sybel, an heiress to mighty wizards, is secluded in her fortress surrounded by magical creatures she has summoned through her magic: Cyrin the boar, the dragon Gyld, Gules the Lion, Ter the falcon, and Moriah, the cat. She is only missing one fantastical creature from her menagerie and this is what has been occupying her time. That is until one day when a soldier arrives with a mysterious child and Sybel is forced to interact with the world of man.

This sounds amazing and it has a cat that shares my name, so I feel like I should read it just for that.

Verdict: Keep

Added: September 26, 2012

And past Mariah strikes again with the sequel and not the first book. Just a second, while I have to do more research….

SO…this is a cluster. This book, and the trilogy it is part of is part of the larger Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. The suggested reading order of these books, by the author, is publication order which means starting with an entirely different book, Dragonflight.

I’m going to start there.

Verdict: Replace with Dragonflight and follow the publication order

Added: September 26, 2012

This is book 2 in a series. Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?

This is the second book in The Dalemark Quartet. The first book is called Cart and Cwidder, which tells the story of the Undying, four young people from various points of times , and Moril, who inherits his father’s prized instrument, a Cwidder which belonged to one of the undying.

Verdict: Replace with the FIRST BOOK in the quartet. I’m not salty.

Added: September 20, 2012

This tells the story of Auron, a rare scaleless gray dragon born high in a cave. Shortly after his birth, he witnesses the death of his parents at the hands of dwarves and is forced to mature on his own. As he ventures out to find more of his kind, Auron is confronted with dangers and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places.

Verdict: Sounds interesting, Keep.

Note: E.E. Knight also wrote the Vampire Planet series, which sounds terrifying and amazing. Might check that out too.

Added: September 20, 2012

In 1860, a biologist and explorer, Arthur Denison, and his son, Will, set out on a sea voyage and are shipwrecked. They wash ashore on an island called Dinotopia where humans and dinosaurs live side by side. The two will embark on separate paths to explore this magnificent new place.

I love dinosaurs, ridiculously much. I saw the miniseries when I was younger and was obsessed. I really want to read this series and then passes it on to my younger sister.

Verdict: Keep.

Added: September 20, 2012

A children’s classic. This tells the story of a young boy who is raised on stories of Witches, but not the witches on Halloween. These are cunning and disguised creatures who hate children and will do everything they can to get rid of them.

I saw the movie a few years ago and enjoyed it. I would like to read childhood classics and pass them on to my younger sister.

Verdict: Keep.

Added: September 20, 2012

This tells the story of Renofer, who is trying to thwart the plans of his evil brother so he can become a master goldsmith.

I don’t really think I would enjoy this at this point in my life. I find myself not enjoying historical fiction at this point and I don’t want to rate something poorly just because I didn’t read it at the right time. For this reason, I’m going to remove it from my shelf.

Verdict: Take off the shelf.

Added: September 26, 2012

Peter Pan tells the story of a young boy who refuses to grow up and the Darling children who are swept off to Neverland. This a classic that is over 100 years old at this point.

Note: There are several racial stereotypes and some problematic content in this book. I am keeping it on my shelf and will include this in any review.

Verdict: Keep, with a note.

Added: September 26, 2012

Mary Poppins tells the story of a magical nanny who comes into the lives of the Banks family by the East Wind. Their lives are changed forever by the various adventures that she takes the children on.

Note: There is some problematic content in this book. It is not like the Disney movie. I am keeping on my shelf with this in mind and will include this in any review that I do.

Verdict: Keep, with a note.

I’m leaving any books on mythology or translations of sagas off this list, because I’m going to read them anyways and I want to focus on the metric ton of novels and non-fiction I have on this list. The good news? That wraps up page 1 on GoodReads! VICTORY!!

I hope you all enjoyed this. See you all on Friday!

Hey book nerds! Today I’m going over some series that are completed, or have a few books, that I have started and haven’t finished because I’m trash like that. Seriously though, I need to start following up with series.

1. The Witcher series.

I read Blood of Elves in 2018 and I really enjoyed it. I was going to read The Time of Contempt in May and had no idea what is going on. To remedy this, I’m going to look up some reading orders and restart the series.

2. The Night Angel Trilogy

I read The Way of Shadows last year or the year before. It was dark, very dark and sucker punched me. In fact it took me a very long time to finish because every couple of chapters something horrible happened to a character that made my heart bleed and my soul cry out for mercy. I want to finish this series, but it terrifies me at the same time.

3. Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown

I keep saying I don’t really read thrillers or mysteries. The truth is I used to all the time and the symbology and conspiracies in Secret Societies are what caught my attention. I don’t read a lot of these anymore, but I would love to get back into them starting with these.

4. The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs

This is a twelve book urban fantasy series that stars Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson, a coyote shape shifter/mechanic. I really loved the first book and always intended to read on in the series, but could never find a matching cover. I’m going to have to look harder.

5. The Memoirs of Lady Trent Series by Marie Brennan

I read A Natural History of Dragons years ago and still recommend it. Only last year I found out it was a series. This series focuses on Lady Trent, a proper Victorian lady who just happens to study dragons. Dragons, independent Victorian lady, and world travels? Yes please. Thank you.

6. The Shadow Game Series by Amanda Foody

This is a trilogy that focuses on Enne Salte and Levi Glasiyer in the city of New Reynes, the so called City of Sin. I loved the first book The Ace of Shades. I laughed, I cried, I gaped at the last few pages and screamed in frustration. I need to know what happens.

7. Shadow of the Fox trilogy by Julie Kagawa

I read the first book of this series this year and I thought I was going to hate it. There were things that made me so frustrated in the beginning and then I loved it. I gave this four stars walked into my office and told my fiance “I need the sequel now.” And I haven’t picked it up yet. The premise behind this is an own voices Japanese folklore inspired fantasy revolving around a half-kitsune girl named Yumeko. When demons kill her adopted family, she is forced to take possession of a piece of the Dragon Scroll, which every 1000 years can be used to summon the Dragon who will reshape the world.

8. Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Equal parts satire, fantasy, and humor, it is easy for me to say I love Terry Pratchett and have for a long time. I am rereading the first three of the Discworld series and have read several later in the series and the spinoff series. I want to read all Terry Pratchett books eventually, but these are a good place to start.

9. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Spoiler alert for my end of month wrap-up: I read Binti over the weekend and it was amazing. Seriously amazing. Possibly one of my top books of the year amazing. There’s not really a whole lot I can say without spoilers. It centers around a girl named Binti who is on her way to Oomza University when her ship is attacked by the Meduse. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

10. Mrs. Jeffries by Emily Brightwell

If you like Murder, She Wrote, you should pick up the Mrs. Jeffries series by Emily Brightwell. I recently read the second book I’ve read from the series and now I want to read all 34 books in order, from the beginning. Mrs. Jeffries works for Inspector Witherspoon as a housekeeper in Victorian London. With a found family of characters, she provides invaluable yet secret help to the Inspector on his cases. I like cozy mysteries, but I’m very picky. This satisfies everything I want and I have been kept guessing until the end.

That wraps up this very late post. I hope everyone enjoyed. What are some series you hope to continue?

M

How to participate in the meme:
1. Credit the creator of this tag (Lyn @Nomadic Worlds ) and link back.
2. Answer the four questions to the best of your ability.
3. Most important of all, enjoy yourself!

Questions:
F – Feature your latest book obsession (it doesn’t have to be your current read)
I – Indicate which book/s you are looking forward to reading this weekend.
F – Favorite quote of the week/day
F – Five things you’re happy or grateful for this week.

F – Feature your Latest Book Obsession

This was a read from earlier this week and it was amazing. Five stars. A combination of science fiction, fantasy, and Caribbean folk lore. Speculative fiction meets modern retellings of folklore meets LGBTQIA+ rep. I cannot rave about this enough. It also completed like five items on my Lost-A-Thon TBR. 😀

I – Indicate which books you are looking forward to reading this weekend.

And various others as I take part in Becca’s (from Becca and the Books on YouTube) BookoplAthon. The prompts are being dropped throughout the weekend and it is very exciting.

F – Favorite Quote of the Day/Week

“I am a woman of seasons.
I burn.
I bloom.
I strike.
I turn to ice;
sometimes I melt away.” ~ L.E. Bowman

F – Five things I am happy/grateful for

1. My wonderful fiance. Surprise everyone I’m engaged!
2. My beautiful and talented friend Talyn S. Draconmore. Who came to see me to celebrate my engagement. I also got to see her do art. You should check her out at Sunfeather Studios.
3. Becca at Becca and the Books for coming up with a readathon right when I needed one. This weekend is going to be epic…or an epic failure.
4. Friends. I don’t know what I would do without all of my wonderful friends who have done nothing but shower me with love and affection in a really hard and stressful week.
5. Books! I am so grateful for the amazing books I’ve been reading. I’m already 2 books in this month and that is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Maybe I’ll make progress in my secret TBR. That would be cool.

That wraps up this week. I hope you are all having an amazing week.

Hey book nerds,

I know this is going up later than normal and the truth is it’s because I’m tired. I had to do a lot of stuff over the past few weeks, work is exhausting, and there’s a lot of personal things going on. Did I mention I’m a college student too? Last week was finals week. You’re not here to hear about my life though. Let’s get to the books.

I read 12 books in June. The stats are:

Genres: horror, nonfiction (history, self-help/memoir), graphic memoirs, children’s fantasy, fantasy

Average star rating: 3.79/5 ⭐

• 2 five star ratings
• 6 four star ratings
• 3 three star ratings
• 1 DNF

It was a pretty good reading month, much more productive than I thought it would be and I managed to read everything on my TBR.

I don’t really have anymore to say. I’ll be uploading my wrap-up with in-depth thoughts later this week. I hope you guys check it out!!

M

How to participate in the meme:
1. Credit the creator of this tag (Lyn @Nomadic Worlds ) and link back.
2. Answer the four questions to the best of your ability.
3. Most important of all, enjoy yourself!

Questions:
F – Feature your latest book obsession (it doesn’t have to be your current read)
I – Indicate which book/s you are looking forward to reading this weekend.
F – Favorite quote of the week/day
F – Five things you’re happy or grateful for this week.

F – Feature your latest book obsession.

I just finished this book this week and let me tell you. It was a challenging, but enlightening book that discusses the history of racism and how it became persuasive and pervasive in the United States.

I – Indicate which book/s you are looking forward to reading this weekend.

I need to finish this book. This weekend. Its the last book. I’m only 300 pages away from the end.

F – Favorite quote of the week.

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam. I will either find a way or I will make one.

F – Five things you are happy or grateful for this week

1. Coffee. This week has been a nightmare and I still have two essays to write.
2. My new manatee warm/cooling stuffed animal. I have chronic pain and this is full of flaxseed and essential oils. It is literally a life saver.
3. Therapy. I am so very grateful to my therapist. She is helping me through a lot right now.
4. My best friend who is making the drive to see me because she loves me. (You should totally go check out her website. Sunfeather Studios
5. Being able to actually finish all 7 books I needed to in June and some extras!

Happy Friday, Book nerds. Today is Juneteenth, which celebrates the day when the last groups of enslaved people were freed. This happened several years after the Civil War in Texas, when a Union General notified these groups that they were free. Happy Juneteenth to all who are celebrating!

The Rules:

How to participate in the meme:
1. Credit the creator of this tag (Lyn from Nomadic worlds ) and link back.
2. Answer the four questions to the best of your ability.
3. Most important of all, enjoy yourself!

Questions:
F – Feature your latest book obsession (it doesn’t have to be your current read)
I – Indicate which book/s you are looking forward to reading this weekend.
F – Favorite quote of the week/day
F – Five things you’re happy or grateful for this week

F – Feature Your Latest Book Obsession

My latest book obsession has been Stamped From the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Read by Christopher Dontrell Piper. I am almost done with the audiobook and have learned so much about how pervasive and persusasive racist thought can be. I highly recommend this book.

I’m going to cheat and put two.

My second book obsession is Thief of Always by Clive Barker. The cover Art is seen above. This has Mr. Barker’s odd, but amazing art and writing style. I’m obsessed with his Abarat series and have been waiting since 2013 for the fourth book to come out….which was supposed to be in 2018. This tells the story of Harvey who gets whisked away from dreary February to the Holiday House, where every day is full of all four seasons. Things are not as they seem though and young Harvey is forced to confront real horror as he tries to figure out what’s going on. 5/5 Stars for me.

I – Indicate which book/s you are looking forward to reading this weekend.

There are three I hope to finish this weekend, because then I can read some of the books on my secret TBR. These are:

1. Stamped from the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
2. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
3. Muhammad by Martin Lings.

F – Favorite Quote of the Week/Day

She never seemed shattered; to me, she was a breathtaking mosaic of all the battles she had won. – Matt Baker

F – Five Things you are grateful or happy about this week.

1. Therapy. This has been life changing and has helped me continually improve.
2. The Boy (a.k.a. my boyfriend) for telling me it will be okay when I’m curled up in a little ball crying because of my health problems. For telling me to stop working and go finish a book.
3. The community on Twitter who have shared articles, reading lists, covers, and more to make me a better person and ally.
4. My cat and dog who are never far away from me especially when I’m not feeling well.
5. Coffee. Its the last week before my term paper opens and it has kept me alive when I haven’t slept well.

The world is kind of a mess, but we’re seeing a lot more people standing up to this and fighting for a change. Remember to amplify voices, help where you can, and remember the good things in life. If you’ve made it to the end, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and pick three things you’re grateful for. Please let me know, as always, if I’ve said something offensive or wrong.

You can find me on:

Twitter: @MariahNotes

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvfS98r1atpsJ6dc0d5pyeQ?

Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!

M