Autumn Reads

I’m not typically a seasonal reader. I also live in Texas, so there isn’t really a Autumn season. I really want to move somewhere the leaves change colors, it snows, and there is a temperature below 80 degrees. There are quite a few books that do remind me of Autumn, or what I have seen of Autumn online. The goodreads will be linked below if you want actual summaries of these books.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

This one is one everyone thinks of, and I started rereading them to immerse myself in some version of Autumn. The way the seasons are described are represented makes you really crave for a Hogwarts. The meals, the classes, the quidditch, and everything to do with the wizarding world gives me feelings.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Last year, my wonderful friend gave me this book for my birthday. I started as soon as I got it, and it was mid-December. The writing was so atmospheric. It was nice to read during school because the beginning and part of the middle is set in a University. This book was perfect to read while in bed while drinking tea.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

This book was set in a small town, and it had a lot to do with friendship, love, and an underlying creepy vibe I didn’t expect. We follow Finn, the main character, as he finds out and goes through a lot of stuff. I found the writing very emotional, and I would definitely recommend getting a cup of tea for this one.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Now this wouldn’t be a Autumn recommendation post if I didn’t put my favorite read of the season. The Raven Boys is probably the best thing to read while cuddled up with tea, a candle, and the rain falling on your window. You go through the adventures with these themes of ghosts and death always hanging around the corner. This series is one I will ALWAYS associate with Autumn.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I love this series a lot (I am also siked for the Shaw Confessions coming out in a few months) She does a great way of tying in a very creepy element. You are able to feel scared, uncontrollable laughter, happiness, sadness because she toys with every emotion you have. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a book in which you are kept in the dark, but you don’t realize it.

Carry On Book Review

Book: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Synopsis: Simon Snow is the worst chosen who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here- it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review (Spoiler Free): I loved this book. It has the perfect mixture of humor, romance, action, and conversation. The characters are all so written so well, you just can’t help falling in love with them. This book was so much like Harry Potter, but Carry On is so unique.

Characters: I can scream about these characters for days. I don’t like to play favorites but Baz. Everyone was so well written. They were very refreshing because they were different from characters I have read before. Rainbow Rowell is incredible in

Penny was so amazing. She didn’t fade to the background. Penny also wasn’t unappreciated for what she did and her part in the story. Her friendship and love for Simon was so true and wonderful. She wouldn’t let him go through anything alone.

Baz was written so well. Baz was so independent to me. He upheld and was proud of his family, but Baz chose his own way. He wrote his own story. At first glance you might label him as bad, he isn’t entirely. He’s just like a human who sometimes makes mistakes.

The most human heroine I have ever read about is Simon. Simon is supposed to be “The Chosen One” yet he has so much trouble with magic. He constantly doubts himself. At times he can be very selfish, but in the end he does what’s right. We get to watch as his focus changes and he learns. I also love that Simon understands he can’t do stuff alone. He admits that Penny has helped him through tough situations.

Plot: This story was so perfect to me. There was still a ton left out at the end. The entire world was a little confusing, we didn’t get much on the world. I would of liked more on the magic and its rules. It took a while to get into the story. A lot of info dumping right at the beginning probably caused that.

The whole story was very entertaining. Going through the last year with Simon was fun. I liked that it wasn’t new to him and he already knew the school so we didn’t have to wait for him to catch up on that. I liked that it kept my attention. I was so invested in the story that I didn’t notice time passing or turning the pages. It was wonderful to just lose myself in a book.

Writing Style: Rainbow Rowell is amazing at entertaining plots and creating characters that are so different. I loved the different point of views. When we get to look into the thoughts of characters I become so much more attached and involved. Her writing is so smooth and easy to read. It isn’t confusing or hard to understand. I did read the UK edition so words were spelled differently so that was confusing for me.

Overall I loved this book. It was so easy to lose yourself in the story. This definitely ended too soon.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Maier. I am an avid reader who bids her time soaking up the words from stories. I love to immerse myself in Fantasy worlds, but I love adventurous stories in our world. Along with my books I like to drink Peppermint tea or any other herbal tea. Typically I prefer my tea hot and lots of sugar.