Currently Reading - Week 2

Hello darlings! It has been a busy week, but I still managed to squeeze in a bit of reading time. This week my focus was on reading at least once of my Popsugar Reading Challenge books. With a trip through a mirror, time traveling, and ice covering everything, let's have a look at what my week in books looks like.

This year, I have decided to participate in the 2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge. In 2015, I completed and loved the challenge; however, last year I fell off the wagon a little bit and never finished. This year there are 40 regular prompts and 12 advanced prompts. For the last few weeks of December I spent a lot of time on a spreadsheet compiling ideas and purchasing books to fill out this list to insure success. Moving into the new year, I decided to change the format of my reviews from monthly to weekly as well as the content included. I want to really improve my reviews and there structure throughout. With that, I will not be able to hold back as much information as usual; therefore, I want to warn you that after the overview section (it will be marked) you may encounter spoilers.

Completed Books:

Milk and Honey
Rupi Kaur
Poetry, Nonfiction, Feminism
PSRC - A bestseller from 2016
Rating - 4/5

Overview - Milk & Honey is a book of poetry broken down into four parts that deal with new things in each category: The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, and The Healing. Each sections deals with violence, abuse, feminism, and many other things like how to love once you have been hurt. "Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look." - via Goodreads

i am your daughter. i know the small talk is the only way you know how to tell me you love me. cause it is the only way i know how to tell you.

i like the way the stretch marks; on my thighs look human and; that we're so soft yet; rough and jungle wild; when we need to be

we are all born so beautiful; the greatest tragedy is being convinced we are not

Plot - Being poetry, we aren't dealing with the same dynamic with characters and a plot story; however, there is still a pace and a building throughout each poem. I was able to devour this in one sitting.

Conclusion - For me, this book was like looking into a mirror that was etched with the inner workings of my soul. It was easy for me to get completely lost within each poem. Although not all of the poems spoke to me, which I think would be the case for many, there were several that left me in tears or encouraged me. It was definitely an emotional investment of heart break, love, and acceptance.

Off With Her Heart
Amy Dale
Fantasy, YA, Retellings
PSRC - A book written by someone you admire
Rating - 5/5

Overview - Katherine is just a hindrance to your family, or so she feels. Always in the way and never quite what they want her to be even when she tries. Once again being shooed out of her mothers presence for her society friends to have a meeting, she finds herself in front of a mirror that looks foggy. Tripping, she almost falls in; however, correcting herself does no go when someone grabs her wrists successfully causing her to fall through the mirror. What she finds on the other side is a world unlike her own. Waiting her if is a world full of color, and the family that has been waiting years for her to find her way home.

Katherine was curious and bright. She was constantly chastised for touching things she ought not to touch or asking questions she needn't be concerned about.

This is a land of wonder... 

Just beware, my dear, a heart is a very passionate thing, and if you don't take care of it and learn to love it, you won't be able to love anyone else's, and that could lead to terrible things. 

Plot - Set in a Wonderland that isn't much different from Alice in Wonderland (obviously), it felt much like going home to me. The detail given to the setting was meticulous and vivid making it easy to submerge yourself in the world. The story line follows a young girl that will soon become known as The Queen of Hearts. No one in the kingdom has ever seen someone with hair as dark as hers. Her parents, William and Elizabeth, were never too fond of her. One always too busy having stumbled into fame as a clock maker, the other only wants to impress the people of this society. Stumbling through the glass proves to change everything for her. The pace of the book is continuous from the first page. With short chapters, it is easy to quickly move throughout the story. I loved how the story evolved and explored many aspects that are missing in Alice in Wonderland.

Characters - I loved seeing the development of Katy throughout the whole book. We see her grow and learn. I love that she didn't shy away from showing her flaws. The interactions between the characters was very well developed and enjoyable. I found myself getting attached to many of the characters and the relationships that they formed. Degrit I found to be very charming and lovable as well. New and old, it is familiar and new all over again.

Conclusion - Amy Dale is a phenomenal person, and that carries over into her writing. I love the morals and principles behind the story and the way that is developed. I went through a range of emotions while reading this. I was swept up in the world and wanted to fall into Wonderland myself. Being able to explore someones take on the Queen of Hearts really opened my mind to think about what she must have went through to get to that point. Overall as a story, it was amazing. I cannot wait to share this with my family whether by reading it to them or them picking it up themselves. I believe there is a lot to learn from this story.

Currently Reading:

Outlander (Outlander #1)
Diana Gabaldon
Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Time Travel
PSRC - A book that's more than 800 pages
Rating -

Overview - Claire Randall, previous combat nurse, has been reunited with her husband in the British Isles. On a second honeymoon to explore and ignite their marriage after a time away, Claire decides to show Frank one of the attractions of standing stones. Going back to find a particular plant she found interesting, Claire is thrown 200 years into the past. Finding herself an outlander, or "Sassenach" in a Scotland torn by war, she is forced to recall the history Frank had drudged on about to help save herself and find her way back to him. Thrown into the time of lairds, spies, and turmoil, she has to do the best she can to blend in and survive without others finding out who she is and where she comes from.

Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)
Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston
Fantasy, YA, Dystopian, Science Fiction
PSRC - A book recommended by a librarian
Rating -

Overview - In a world devastated by war and now covered in Ice, survival is cut throat. Food is scarce, water is a delicacy, and anything outside of the normal is executed. The Ice brought about mythical legends said to carry powers, their skin marked and the physical appearance different from the rest. With everything covered in ice, New Vegas still manages to thrive on lust and greed. Natasha Kestal narrowly escaped with her life, now she has to find a way out before they are able to discover her. Working as a black jack dealer to buy her time, Ryan Wesson seems to be her only hope to escape to The Blue, the promised land where the shine still shines and food isn't as hard to come by. With the voice in her head leading her, she is determined to escape before they find out who she really is.

What are you picking up to read this weekend?