Books I Want to Read That Nobody Cares About

I got this idea from Ariel Bissett’s videos where she just talks about books she wants to read. I’m aware that most people might not know these books but that’s okay. I still want to read them. Here’s a link to her original video!

• A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

“This debut novel by an Arab-American voice, takes us inside the lives of conservative Arab women living in America.

In Brooklyn, eighteen-year-old Deya is starting to meet with suitors. Though she doesn’t want to get married, her grandparents give her no choice. History is repeating itself: Deya’s mother, Isra, also had no choice when she left Palestine as a teenager to marry Adam. Though Deya was raised to believe her parents died in a car accident, a secret note from a mysterious, yet familiar-looking woman makes Deya question everything she was told about her past. As the narrative alternates between the lives of Deya and Isra, she begins to understand the dark, complex secrets behind her community.”

I love reading books set in the Middle East so when I saw this from the library, I had to pick it up. I actually read the description and decided not to get it but I had to go back because I just really want to read it. It sounds so interesting and I actually remember a customer talking about this book so I have high hopes!

• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

  “THINGS FALL APART tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center around Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first of these stories traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives, and in its classical purity of line and economical beauty it provides us with a powerful fable about the immemorial conflict between the individual and society.

The second story, which is as modern as the first is ancient, and which elevates the book to a tragic plane, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo’s world through the arrival of aggressive, proselytizing European missionaries. These twin dramas are perfectly harmonized, and they are modulated by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul. THINGS FALL APART is the most illuminating and permanent monument we have to the modern African experience as seen from within.”

I’m reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie right now and it mentioned this book so I kinda want to read it. I’ve had it on my shelf forever and it seems like a book most people read and enjoy so maybe I’ll pick it up!

• A Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

 “Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Man’s Search for Meaning has become one of the most influential books in America; it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.

I was looking up inspirational/life changing book lists last night and this seemed to be on a lot of them. I’ve been having a tough time so I’ve been on the look out for just really inspiring books that make you think so I picked this one up today!

• Where I Lived, and What I Lived For by Henry David Thoreau

“Thoreau’s account of his solitary and self-sufficient home in New England woods remains an inspiration to the environmental movement — a call to his fellow men to abandon their striving, materialistic existences of ‘quiet desperation’ for a simple life within their means, finding spiritual truth through awareness of the sheer beauty of their surroundings.”

This is another one of the books I got because I was searching for short, inspirational books. I love this edition by Penguin so I bought it at work. It’s from a set called Penguin Books: Great Ideas and I want all of them now. Anyways, the reason I picked this book specifically is because I love Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and in that book, Thoreau is mentioned a lot so I thought I’d finally read something by him.

 

Find any of these books as your local bookstore!

 

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WWW Wednesday | September 18th

This is essentially a tag created by Taking on a World of Words! You just answer the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get into it!

• What are you currently reading?

Right now, I’m currently reading Nevernight by Jay Kristoff! Everyone seemed to be reading it so I wanted to join in on the fun. My audiobook pick right now The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas!

• What did you recently finish reading?

I recently finished the Testaments by Margaret Atwood and I loved it! I ended up giving it five out of five stars.

@uponthepages on insta

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Hopefully, Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff!

My Impossible Fall TBR 🍂

Watch my Youtube video talking about these books here!

 

This blog post is gonna be a LONG one. My Fall TBR is never ending. I keep adding to it every day but as of now, here’s what I want to read this fall:

I’m going to start off with the books I’ve already read on this TBR!

• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood ☑

★★★★★ out of ★★★★★ stars (5/5)

• Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab ☑

★★★ ½ out of ★★★★★ stars (3.5/5)

• If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio ☑ 

★★★ ½ out of ★★★★★ stars (3.5/5)

• Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky ☑ 

★★★★ out of ★★★★★ stars (4/5

• Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath ☑ 

★★★  out of ★★★★★ stars (3/5)

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ☑ 

★★★★★ out of ★★★★★ stars (5/5)

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath ☑ 

★★★★½ out of ★★★★★ stars (4.5/5)

• The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Scythe by Neal Schusterman
• An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
• Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
• The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Well Met by Jen DeLuca
• Vanity Fair’s Women on Women
• The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
• Aphrodite Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer
• Shades of Magic vol. 1 by V.E. Schwab
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• The Diviners by Libba Bray
• Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
• Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

If you want to keep updated with my Fall TBR and how I’m doing, here’s my Goodreads list!

What are you reading this Fall?

To hear my thoughts elsewhere, follow me on social media: Goodreads | BookTube | Instagram | Twitter

What I’m Reading During Hurricane Dorian

WELL, it’s that time of the year again. It’s hurricane season and since I live in Florida, we’re already being hit. This time, the hurricane is called Dorian and it’s set to make landfall at a category 4. This is obviously a VERY bad hurricane and everyone here is getting prepared. They’ve changed the day it’s supposed to hit several times so I’m not entirely sure but I decided to share with you all the books I’m currently reading and will probably be reading if I lose power lol.

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

“On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.”

I have this as a downloaded audiobook so I’m not sure if I’ll be listening to it a lot since I have to save my battery power but who knows! I’m hoping we don’t lose power but we always lose power. I’m actually already like 33% into this book and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve never really been a fan of thrillers/mysteries but I recently read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn and I really love her writing style. I used to have a physical copy of this book that I thrifted but I got rid of it because I never thought I’d read it. I wish I kept it! So far, the audiobook is fantastic so I’m not too angry.

• Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath

 “Never before published, this newly discovered story by literary legend Sylvia Plath stands on its own and is remarkable for its symbolic, allegorical approach to a young woman’s rebellion against convention and forceful taking control of her own life.

Written while Sylvia Plath was a student at Smith College in 1952, Mary Ventura and The Ninth Kingdom tells the story of a young woman’s fateful train journey.

Lips the color of blood, the sun an unprecedented orange, train wheels that sound like “guilt, and guilt, and guilt” these are just some of the things Mary Ventura begins to notice on her journey to the ninth kingdom.

“But what is the ninth kingdom?” she asks a kind-seeming lady in her carriage. “It is the kingdom of the frozen will,” comes the reply. “There is no going back.”

Sylvia Plath’s strange, dark tale of female agency and independence, written not long after she herself left home, grapples with mortality in motion”

I also have this on audiobook and it’s only about 44 minutes long so there’s no doubt I’ll finish it this month! I recently read the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and really enjoyed it so I thought I’d pick up one of her short stories.

• Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

 “Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground. “

I’ve been reading this for a bit now. I’m at like 17% through an e-arc that I have. I need to focus on it and only read this considering its like 800 pages but you know. I’ve just been reading bits of it at night. I’ll have a review for this near the release date!

If any of you are in the path of Hurricane Dorian, please BE PREPARED. Here’s a list of things you can get in order to be ready for this hurricane. I live in Florida and we got our supplies ready in case anything happens. Stay safe!

 

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Library Haul + TBR | August

We’re one month closer to Fall and I honestly can’t wait! I’ve been spending so much time at the library that I figured I would do another library haul. I’ve been in the mood for romances so I have like every book ever by Christina Lauren checked out. Let’s get into the entire list!

• Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins [read, review to come]
• Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
• My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina Lauren [read, review to come]
• the Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
• Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren
• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

 

Find any of these at your local bookstore!

 

What books do you currently have checked out? If you don’t use the library, what was the last book you bought?

 

To hear my thoughts elsewhere, follow me on social media: Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

 

a Late Reading Rush TBR

I was totally supposed to post this yesterday but I was too busy watching Love Island UK. I know, embarrassing. Forgive me. Here’s what I planned to read for the Reading Rush! I’ve lowkey already read several things that aren’t on this list but that’s okay!

• Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman (adapter), Anne Frank (Original text), David Polonsky (Illustrator)

Challenge: Read a book in the same spot the entire time [Completed]

I already read this one and absolutely loved it! I’ll be talking about the books I’ve read more in my wrap up but wow, this was so good.

• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Challenge: Read an author’s first book

Challenge: Read a book you meant to read last year

I love Rainbow Rowell so much and this is the only book/story I haven’t read by her!

• Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim

Challenge: Read a book with five or more words in the title [Completed]

I already read this one too! I really enjoyed it. I had some problems with it but it still made for a great read.

• the Handmaid’s Tale: the Graphic Novel by Renee Nault

I just felt like reading this one and I don’t really have a challenge for it! I think this will just add to the bonus of reading seven books.

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Challenge: Read a book with purple on the cover (I think her pants on the cover are purple but that’s up for debate)

Challenge: Read a book with a non-human main character (BAZ COUNTS OK)

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Challenge: Read a book and watch the movie adaptation

• Water Runs Red by Jenna Clare

This is Jenna’s first book but I’m reading it to read seven books! 🙂

 

 

Library Haul

Hello everyone! I finally got around to renewing my library card. I decided to check out a bunch of physical books this time. Some of these may or may not be for the Reading Rush but you’ll just have to wait and see!

• When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perry ★★★ (3) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

“Katie Daniels is a perfection-seeking 28-year-old lawyer living the New York dream. She’s engaged to charming art curator Paul Michael, has successfully made her way up the ladder at a multinational law firm and has a hold on apartments in Soho and the West Village. Suffice it to say, she has come a long way from her Kentucky upbringing.

But the rug is swept from under Katie when she is suddenly dumped by her fiance, Paul Michael, leaving her devastated and completely lost. On a whim, she agrees to have a drink with Cassidy Price-a self-assured, sexually promiscuous woman she meets at work. The two form a newfound friendship, which soon brings into question everything Katie thought she knew about sex—and love.

When Katie Met Cassidy is a romantic comedy that explores how, as a culture, while we may have come a long way in terms of gender equality, a woman’s capacity for an entitlement to sexual pleasure still remain entirely taboo. This novel tackles the question: Why, when it comes to female sexuality, are so few women figuring out what they want and then going out and doing it?”

• the Handmaid’s Tale: the Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood

“Everything Handmaids wear is red: the colour of blood, which defines us.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships. She serves in the household of the Commander and his wife, and under the new social order she has only one purpose: once a month, she must lie on her back and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if they are fertile. But Offred remembers the years before Gilead, when she was an independent woman who had a job, a family, and a name of her own. Now, her memories and her will to survive are acts of rebellion.

Provocative, startling, prophetic, The Handmaid’s Tale has long been a global phenomenon. With this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s modern classic, beautifully realized by artist Renee Nault, the terrifying reality of Gilead has been brought to vivid life like never before.”

• Circe by Madeline Miller

“In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.”

• Anne Frank’s Diary: the Graphic Novel

“The only graphic novelization of Anne Frank’s diary that has been authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation and that uses text from the diary–it will introduce a new generation of young readers to this classic of Holocaust literature.

This adaptation of Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl into a graphic version for a young readership, maintains the integrity and power of the original work. With stunning, expressive illustrations and ample direct quotation from the diary, this edition will expand the readership for this important and lasting work of history and literature.”

• Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim

“At the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant.

The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant’s fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around–she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along.”