In today’s post, I will be wrapping up my week in reading from the 1st to the 5th. All synopses are taken from Goodreads. I will be mentioning all the books I read this week and stating which challenges they fit for the three month-long readathons I am participating in. If you missed my TBR and would like to check it out, it will be linked below!
On day one, I attempted to do a 24-hour readathon by myself to set my month off on the right foot. I think it went okay but I wanted to do better. The first book I finished was March Book Two by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, Illustrated by Nate Powell (5 stars). This was my Bookopoly challenge for POC rep. I knew before reading that it would be a 5-star read and I can’t believe I waited this long to continue this series. I hope to read March Book Three this month as well and finish the series off.
Synopsis of March Book One: March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement. Book One spans John Lewis’ youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall. Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1950s comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story." Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.
The second book I finished on day one was Dracula by Bram Stoker (3 stars). This one was my pick for Monsterathon for let a friend pick your book and the Bookopoly challenge for a standalone. I started this book on the last day of August so I could finish it on the first day of the month. I can honestly say I enjoyed Dracula more than I thought I would. There were times where the book was really interesting and the plot was moving and also times where I was waiting for something to happen. However, I enjoyed seeing one of the origin stories of vampires and how much they have changed over time.
Synopsis: It is a quintessential tale of suspense and horror, boasting one of the most terrifying characters ever born in literature: Count Dracula, a tragic, night-dwelling specter who feeds upon the blood of the living, and whose diabolical passions prey upon the innocent, the helpless, and the beautiful. But Dracula also stands as a bleak allegorical saga of an eternally cursed being whose nocturnal atrocities reflect the dark underside of the supremely moralistic age in which it was originally written -- and the corrupt desires that continue to plague the modern human condition. Pocket Books Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Dracula was prepared by Joseph Valente, Professor of English at the University of Illinois and the author of Dracula's Crypt: Bram Stoker, Irishness, and the Question of Blood, who provides insight into the racial connotations of this enduring masterpiece.
Also, on day one, I started Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (2 stars), and I finished it the next morning. This one was for the Adventure’s Through Wonderland challenge to pick a strange and mysterious book and the Bookopoly Challenge for 1st in a series. I don’t know what it was about this book but I just did not connect with it. I found myself struggling to get through it despite how small it is and I almost didn’t finish it.
Synopsis: After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So, when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN. Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.
On the 2nd, I started Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant/Seanan Mcguire (4 stars) and I finished it on the 5th. This book was not on my TBR but it will fit the Monsterathon challenge for mythical creatures. I have posted my non-spoiler review for this one if you would like to know more of my thoughts and it will be linked below. Overall, I liked it a lot but I was disappointed by the ending.
Synopsis: Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.
On the 5th, I read Drama by Raina Telgemeier (3 stars). This one fits the Bookopoly challenge for LGBT rep and is also a middle grade book for the Adventures Through Wonderland readathon. I have been wanting to read Drama for years. It has been on the top 10 most banned books list for LGBT content for many years in a row. I read this quite quickly, as it is a graphic novel, and I felt quite so-so about it. I didn’t think there was much of a plot. The main character wasn’t very interesting either. I wish it were told in a different character’s perspective.
Synopsis: Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!
Stats Week One:
- 5 books
- 1576 pages
- 1 5 star
- 1 4 star
- 2 3 star
- 1 2 star
Comment down below and let me know if you read any of these books and what you thought about them!
September TBR: Bookopoly Chooses My Monster-Filled Adventure Through Wonderland- https://allithebookgiraffe.wixsite.com/allithebookgiraffe/post/bookopoly-chooses-my-monster-filled-adventure-through-wonderland