5 More Indie Books You Should Read {+5 More On My TBR} - #IndieAugust20

 Last year, I hosted a readathon on my bookstagram called the Indie August Readathon, dedicated to celebrating the best of independent publishing.  I had so much fun hosting it, and I knew I wanted to do it again!  And since last year I also shared 5 of my favorite indie books here on the blog, I'm back again with 5 more recommendations! 

I'm a firm believer that independently published books can be just as great (if not better!) than traditionally published ones, and these books are a testament to that.  All of these were among my favorites from either 2019 or 2020!  I tried to pick from a variety of genres, too, so there's something for everyone!  For even more recommendations, make sure you check out my post from last year!

Let's jump on in!


1. Prince of Shadow and Ash - Selina R. Gonzalez 



Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon ~ My review

First off, that cover though!!  This was absolutely everything I wanted - a mix of high fantasy and fluffy romance that was perfection.  Sassy main characters, kick-butt action, epic magic, and an adorably shippable couple to boot.  Regulus and Adelaide's story sucked me in and didn't let go, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

2. Rook Di Goo - Jenni Sauer



Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

A sci-fi Cinderella retelling following a runaway soldier, full of adventure, friendship, and hope despite hard times.  Featuring the found family trope and a lot of tea, this is one of my favorite reads of the year, and I can't wait to see what Jenni has in store next.  (also if you don't come out of this one wishing you had standard issue Liosi military boots and you aren't a little in love with Captain Leiv Benham, I'll be surprised xD)

3. The Old River Road - Hailey Rose



Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon ~ My review

Based on the real story of Hailey's great-great-grandparents, this is one of the most wholesome and heart-warming historical fiction stories I know.  I adored Clara and William so much, the whole book just felt so comfortable and cozy, and I never wanted it to end.  It's got all the feels, and I love it for that.

4. The Divided Nation - Angela R. Watts



Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon

One of the most unique and heart-pounding dystopians I've read in awhile, this is a story that's hard to look at at times, but one that's so important.  Set during the future second American civil war, we follow a fairly large cast of characters who are doing their best just to survive.  There's a lot of found family/"your family stinks so I'm your family now" tropes going on, plus a really stinking Soft romance, and I'm here for it. 

5. Never Say Goodbye - Sarah Grace Grzy



Add on Goodreads ~ Purchase on Amazon ~ My review

Speaking of Soft romance... xD  Tyler and Alyvia's story made me so ridiculously happy, tbh.  Everything about it was just about perfect.  Friends-to-lovers romance, a single dad with an adorable child, a female lead who wants to run a book store, everything you could ask for and then some amazing faith content throughout.  

And now, here are five indie books that are on my list to read as soon as is humanly possible:

1. One Bad Apple - Rachel Kovaciny



snow white retelling + wagon train setting + found family trope (i think... lol)

2. Poison's Dance - Tricia Mingerink



twelve dancing princesses retelling + high fantasy + book 3 in one of my favorite series

3. Thief - Savanna Roberts



robin hood retelling + kick-butt heroine + squad goals

4. As Easy As Cherry Pie - Bell Renshaw

 

fluffy romance + baker + handyman + return to justin harbor (yaaasss)

5. The Anamnesis - Adelaide Thorne



epic story + slowburn romance + cross my heart the only reason i haven't finished this yet is because i don't want this series to end ;-; 


So there you have it!  If you'd like to participate in the readathon, we'd love to have you! 

What's an indie book that you would recommend?  Are you adding any of these to your TBR?  Let me know in a comment below! 

~ Abby

The TBR Jar Experiment

I love to re-read books.  It's a fact that I've known since I was a small child.  Going back to old favorites is one of my favorite things to do, so it's something that I do a lot.  Unfortunately, when one has over 100 books in a physical TBR, one needs to reconsider one's priorities. 

Thus, the TBR jar was born.

(eventually, I'll make a graphic that isn't a floral. eventually. i'm in a spring-y mood, okay?)

I'm not the first to come up with this idea, so I don't claim originality here.  And to be honest, the idea of TBR jars has always scared me.

If you don't know what a TBR jar is, essentially, readers with large TBR (or to-be-read) piles will put the titles of said books into a jar or a mug or what have you.  Every month or so they'll pull one or several titles from the holder and challenge themselves to read the book[s] that month.  And it seems really terrifying to me, so I changed it up.

So in that little purple jar are titles of books I own and haven't read.  In the box shaped like a gorgeous little book are titles of books I want to re-read.

The idea is a sort of reward system for myself.  Because my brain is mean and doesn't like letting me read new books. It's this inexplicable mind game that I can't seem to break, so I thought I'd try to tame it.  It's still in the experiment phase, but I figure if I post about it, it'll give me some accountability. 

The system works like this:
Step One) Pick a title out of the TBR jar.
Step Two) Read the book.
Step Three) Pick a title out of the re-read jar.
Step Four) Read that book.
Step Five) Repeat.

So, essentially, if I read a new book, I get to reward myself and re-read a book.  Because my brain apparently needs a reward to actually do what it's supposed to do. 


shawn = my brain trying to get me to re-read books
gus = my tbr pile

As of today, I've pulled one book out of the TBR jar, and one book out of the re-read jar, and so far, the system seems to be working.  (Well, I haven't picked my next TBR jar book because I had other books I needed to review, but I'm planning to very soon.)

The books that went into the TBR jar are as follows:
- The Book Thief  {Markus Zusak}
- An Ember in the Ashes {Sabaa Tahir}
- Keeping Safe the Stars  {Sheila O'Connor}
- Magyk  {Angie Sage}
- Martin Hospitality  {Abigayle Claire}
- Mistborn  {Brandon Sanderson}
- The Mysterious Benedict Society  {Trenton Lee Stewart}
- Princess Academy  {Shannon Hale}
- The Princess and I  {Rebekah Eddy}
- The Shadow of Your Smile  {Susan May Warren}
- A Tale Dark & Grimm  {Adam Gidwitz}
- The Wee Free Men  {Terry Pratchett}

And the books that went into the re-read jar were:
- City of Orphans  {Avi}
- The Emerald Atlas  {John Stephens}
- The Giver  {Lois Lowry}
- Heist Society  {Ally Carter}
- How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel  {Cressida Cowell}
- A Little Princess  {Francis Hodgson Burnett}
- Moon Over Manifest  {Clare Vanderpool}
- Navigating Early  {Clare Vanderpool}
- Science Fair  {Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson}
- The Throne of Fire  {Rick Riordan}
- A Time to Die  {Nadine Brandes}
- The True Meaning of Smekday  {Adam Rex}

That's twelve books in each.  Every time I read one out of either, I put another book back in. That's the plan, anyway.

And the first pick of my TBR jar was... Princess Academy!

Which, I think, was a fabulous place to start.  A relatively short middle-grade, one that has been recommended to me so many times over the years, and an absolutely magical story that I'm so happy to have read.  (You can check out my Goodreads review here!)  I felt super accomplished, I have to say.

And thus, I got to pick a book out of the re-read jar, and that was... The True Meaning of Smekday!

And good golly, I love this book so much.  Reaffirmed as one of my all-time favorites, that's for sure.  And, like a good girl, I did not immediately jump into "Smek for President!", as much as I really wanted to.  I do think I'll re-read it sometime soon, because it's super short and I'm just not ready to say goodbye to Tip and J.Lo just yet. 

With that, it's time to pick another book from the TBR jar.  Like I said, this seems to be working so far and I'm really excited about it!  My family has also been supporting me in this endeavor because they all think it's ridiculous that my TBR is so huge and I keep re-reading books.  (I know... I think it's ridiculous too... that's why I'm doing this)

While I haven't read another book out of the TBR jar so far in April, I've knocked several books off my TBR all the same.  And I'm very excited about that.


So what do you think?  Good idea?  Think I can maintain this experiment?  Spot any faves in the titles?  Let me know in a comment below!

~ Abby

Christmas Books I Want to Read - 12 Days of Christmas

Welcome back to another day of the 12 Days of Christmas link-up!  I've been getting so into the Christmas spirit, and I can't wait for the next few days! 

Today, we're going to be talking about my favorite thing - books!  Specifically, my TBR pile.  Which, to be completely honest, is very intimidating at the moment, but that's okay.  I have a nice little stack of Christmas books I want to read (that will very likely carry me into January) and I thought I'd share them with you today!

Let's start shuffling this pile and trying to keep it upright, shall we?


1. A Christmas Carol


To be frank, I feel it's almost a crime that I haven't read this yet.  Partially because I've had it for almost two years now, and partially because I've always wanted to read it.  I even read the first page awhile ago and was snickering from just the first line!  I have this feeling that I'm going to love this book if I ever just buckle down and read it.  Somebody tell me to go read it.


2. Because of Bethlehem


Another one that I feel shame at not having read.  Our youth group did the group study for this last year and I absolutely loved it.  I got so much out of it that I bought the book... and then proceeded not to read it.  But, in my defense, my sister was reading it.  ...not much of a defense, I know xD  But I really do want to read this this year!


3. Shepherds Abiding


I've read a grand total of 2 Mitford books, and while book 2 wasn't my favorite, I've heard that that's a lot of people's opinion.  I don't know that I'll read the rest of the series, but I want to read this one.  Because Christmas specials are my weakness.  Also it sounds adorable.  Yeah.


4. The Bridge


I've read a couple of other of Karen Kingsbury's books in the past, and I really enjoyed them (even when they left me a blubbering mess), so I'd love to try this one out!  Also, it's not very long.  That's always a plus for me, if an author can tell a full story in fewer words.  (Oh, and this one also sounds adorable.  So that's great.)


5. Red Boots


Okay, if I don't read this one this Christmas season, someone poke me.  It's a short story.  I can do this.  (Honestly, I don't really know much about it other than it's by Kate and I love her and her writing so I will probably love this.  Yeah.)


6. The Nutcracker


(I would not say no to a bonus re-read of The Snow Queen xD )  This is the gorgeous Barnes and Noble classics edition I have, and in the very back is The Nutcracker, a story I've heard forever but never read.  I'm really excited about it, and again, it shouldn't take me too terribly long.  (Side note, did anyone else love the Barbie Nutcracker movie as much as I did?  Because I loved that movie, oh my goodness.)


7. The Perfect Christmas

Technically, this one isn't out yet.  But guys, I'm SO EXCITED FOR IT.  "One Christmas in Winter" was the cutest thing (I'd kind of like to re-read it this year as well?) so I can't wait to see what Bell has cooked up next!  I'm sure it'll be adorable and heart-warming and perfect for the holiday season!  (see what I did there? hehe)


And that's it for today!  Have you read any of these books?  What's on your reading list for this season?

Be sure to check out the rest of the posts for today by visiting Faith's blog!  (She's pretty awesome.  You should give her a follow while you're at it.)

Merry early Christmas!

~ Abby

July Wrap-Up and August TBR

So July has come to a close, and I am satisfied with how it went.

I successfully completed Camp NaNoWriMo for the first time, we were on vacation the last few days of the month, and while Disney World in July is hot and miserable, it's also quite magical.

I read 4 books this month, which is quite a good amount compared to last month... with just 1 book... pfft. I didn't quite finish BoO, which is a bit disappointing, but NEXT MONTH *raises fist*

Let's get into this, shall we?



Books I finished this month:

The Throne of Fire - Rick Riordan

Rating: 5/5
Overview: In the Kane siblings second adventure, they travel deep into the Duat to revive the sun god Ra.

The Serpent's Shadow - Rick Riordan

Rating: 5/5
Overview: The conclusion to the trilogy. Apophis, the Chaos snake, is rising. The Kanes must save the world.

Demigods and Magicians - Rick Riordan
(so many Rick Riordan books pfffft)

Rating: 5/5
Overview: Three novellas ('The Son of Sobek', 'The Staff of Serapis', and 'The Crown of Ptolemy') where Percy and Annabeth team up with Carter and Sadie. The boys are confused and the girls kick butt. As I expected.

How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell

Rating: 3.5/5
Overview: It's not the movie. But it's okay.



And now, because August is upon me...

Books I plan to read next month:

The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Book 5 of the Heroes of Olympus series, I'm sO CLOSE TO FINISHING

Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
A series that a few friends have recommended, and I'm so excited to read it ^.^

How to be a Pirate - Cressida Cowell
Book 2 of HTTYD

How to Speak Dragonese - Cressida Cowell
Book 3 of HTTYD



Color me excited!



What do you plan to read this month? Favorite book from July? Let me know in the comments!

~ Mia