Christmas Book Haul

It is no secret that I love books. After my birthday people start asking me what I want for Christmas which in my mind isn't fair because it was just my birthday. Because of this every Christmas I normally get jewelry and clothes. I wear one necklace and one ring. I have been for years now. Also I would wear the same thing everyday if it was socially acceptable. This year I got smart though and begged my family to not get me any jewelry. I know that sounds ungrateful but I will never wear it. Obviously i'll wear the clothes but I would much rather have books. I went on Amazon and made a wish list of all the books that I wanted and this year my family actually listened to me. I got no jewelry. Praise God. Also some of these I bought myself.

1. The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both. Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship — one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to ‘fix’ her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self — even if she’s not exactly sure who that is.

I've started reading more LGBT books this year and one of the reasons is, is because I watched a documentary on 'Conversion Therapy'. It was interesting to see what people think about the topic. Whether you agree or disagree with it it is an interesting topic and perfect for a novel. I really hope that I enjoy this book.

2. The Martian, Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars' surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.

The summary was actually longer but in my opinion gave a lot away. When I first heard about this book I didn't think that I would enjoy. I'm not a big science fan and honestly it just seemed like a depressing book. Then people started raving about it and actually said that it was a funny book. In my mind I find that hard to believe but that really made me want to read it.

3. Uglies Series, Scott Westerfeld

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world-- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever

I heard about this series in the past and not a lot of people had nice things to say about it. I couldn't ignore the fact that it had a pretty good premise. I'm hoping that it's good. Also the covers are amazing.

4. Snow Like Ashes & Ice Like Fire, Sara Raasch 

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

I'll be honest the only reason I picked these books was because of the awesome covers. They say not to judge a book by it's cover but at the same time if a book has a beautiful cover more people are going to look at it. I haven't read a good dystopian in a while and it would be nice to read another good one.

5. The Murder Complex, Lindsay Cummings 

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

That summary is really all I want to know going into this book. This book hasn't exactly been getting a lot of rave at the same time it seems like a interesting book. Also another fantastic cover.

6. Ready Player One, Ernest Cline 

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

I heard about this book a few years ago and I don't know why it has take me this long to pick it up. It doesn't seem like a book I would normally be interested but i've heard nothing but good reviews.

7. Not A Drop To Drink & In A Handful Of Dust, Mindy McGinnis 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand. But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it.

I hope that this book is nothing like the 5th Wave because we all know how I felt about that book. Sorry SE. 

8. Falling Kingdoms, Morgan Rhodes 

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface. As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

This is another book that I have heard nothing but good things about. 

9. Darker Shade Of Magic, V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit. Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

I saw this in a Barnes and Noble ad once and I thought it looked cool.

10. Beastly Bones, William Ritter

I still haven't read Jackaby. Oops.

11. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon 

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743. Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. 

Outlander is one of those books that a lot of people want to read but yet are scared to read. It's a huge book with small font. I don't care how many books you've read that's daunting. Also damn that thing on the front cover that isn't a sticker and I have to look at it whenever I pick up the book.

12. Pawnee: The Greatest Town In America, Leslie Nope

Welcome to Pawnee: More Exciting than New York, More Glamorous than Hollywood, Roughly the Same Size as Bismarck, North Dakota. In Pawnee, Leslie Knope (as played by Amy Poehler on NBC's hit show "Parks and Recreation") takes readers on a hilarious tour through her hometown, the Midwestern haven known as Pawnee, Indiana. The book chronicles the city's colorful citizens and hopping nightlife, and also explores some of the most hilarious events from its crazy history—like the time the whole town was on fire, its ongoing raccoon infestation, and the cult that took over in the 1970s. Packed with laugh-out-loud-funny photographs, illustrations, and commentary by the other inhabitants of Pawnee, it's a must-read that will make you enjoy every moment of your stay in the Greatest Town in America.

It's no secret that Parks and Rec is one of my favorite shows of all time. This was actually in an episode and I thought that if that book was real I would buy it. I never thought that it would be real thing. Thank God it is. I think whenever I have a bad day I will pick up this book. 

13. Furiously Happy, Jenny Lawson

In LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED, Jenny Lawson baffled readers with stories about growing up the daughter of a taxidermist. In her new book, FURIOUSLY HAPPY, Jenny explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.

As a person who struggles with mental illness in a lot of ways this book wants to make me breathe a sigh of relief. It's so nice to read a book about the topic without being overly sad and being able to relate to an everyday person.

14. Angelfall Trilogy, Susan Ee

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl. Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I feel like these books are under appreciated and because when I've heard people talk about them i've heard nothing but good things. They also have fantastic covers.

15. Where'd You Go Bernadette, Maria Semple

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom. Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle—and people in general—has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. 

I feel like this will be a funny book with a serious undertone. That's also a fantastic synopsis.

16. Great, Sara Benincasa

Everyone loves a good scandal. Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta's carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape.

This is a LGBT version of The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is one of the few books that I've read in high school and actually like. This book could go wrong and I hope that it doesn't. It's such a great idea.

17. Ash, Malinda Lo

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

This is another LGBT retelling of Cinderella. I think I heard about this book a few years ago and I said I would pick it up and yet I never did. Hopefully it's as good as people are saying. 

That's all the books that I got for Christmas. I have no idea how i'm going to read all of these books.

DFTBA

-AB

Oh my gosh I almost forgot Day 27 of Being Thankful. Today i'm thankful for water. I know that's completely random. It's something that i've been thinking about though. It's something so simple but yet we take it for granted every day.