Likely Stories

Book #282 (Unique books)

Book #2 in 2021

Likely Stories

by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham

"These dark and imaginative tales feature an odd and subtly linked world of bizarre venereal diseases, a creepy old woman who feasts on raw meat, a man obsessed with a skin model from a magazine, and a story within a story about ghosts.

You wont want to miss this collection featuring comic adaptations of the short stories: Looking for the Girl, Foreign Parts, Closing Time, and Feeders and Eaters from the Hugo, Eisner, Newbery, Harvey, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula award-winning author Neil Gaiman!"

January 14th 2021 (evening) to January 17th - 3ish days - 80 pages

The Umbrella Academy, Vol 1: Apocalypse Suite

 Book #281 (Unique books)

Book #1 in 2021

The Umbrella Academy, Vol 1: Apocalypse Suite

by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba

"In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world."

These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again."

January 11th, 2021 (evening) to January 13th (morning) - about 2 days - 184 pages

Sharp Objects

Book #280 (Unique books)
Book #4 in 2019

Sharp Objects

by Gillian Flynn

"Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming."

October 25th - December 27th - 2 months - kindle version

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (re-read)

Book #3 in 2019

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

by J.K. Rowling

"During his third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter must confront the devious and dangerous wizard responsible for his parents' deaths."

January 16th to January 29th - 14 days - 435 pages

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (re-read)

Book #2 in 2019

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by J.K. Rowling

"When the Chamber of Secrets is opened again at the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, second-year student Harry Potter finds himself in danger from a dark power that has once more been released on the school."

January 8th to 15th - 8 days - 366 pages

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (re-read)

Book #1 in 2019

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

by J.K. Rowling

"Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches."

? to January 8th (didn't write down start date for some reason) - 332 pages

Before I Fall

Book #279 (Unique books)
Book #20 in 2018

Before I Fall

by Lauren Oliver

"For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—'Cupid Day'—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined."

December 10th to 30th - 20 days - kindle version

Notes:

I really liked this book.

Teen Angst? Naaah...

Book #278 (Unique books)
Book #19 in 2018

Teen Angst? Naaah...

a quasi-autobiography by Ned Vizzini

"'The events in these stories are real. Some names have been changed so I don't get yelled at.' 

Ned Vizzini writes about the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years. With wit, irony, and honesty, "Teen Angst? Naaah . . ." invites you into his world of school, parents, street people, rock bands, friends, fame, camp, sex (sort of), Cancun (almost), prom, beer, Nintendo, the cool (and almost cool), and more. A Holden Caulfield for Generation Y, Ned Vizzini is an original voice to be reckoned with, read, and enjoyed. "

December 9th to 10th(ish) - a day and a half? - kindle version

Notes:

Read on the way BACK from Scotland, so unsure of timing.
I love Ned Vizzini ♥ and :(

Aftercare Instructions

Book #277 (Unique books)
Book #18 in 2018

Aftercare Instructions

by Bonnie Pipkin

"'Troubled.' That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The betrayal causes Gen to question everything.

As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long-forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history, the one she thinks she knows, that she’s finally able to embrace the complicated, chaotic true story of her life, and take center stage."

December 1st to 2nd(ish) - like a day and a half? - kindle version

Notes:

Read on the journey to Scotland, so unsure of exactly how long it took to read it. This book made me cry several times on the plane, I loved it.

Leah on the Offbeat

Book #276 (Unique books)
Book #17 in 2018

Leah on the Offbeat

by Becky Albertalli

"Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended."

November 26th to 29th - 4 days - 339 pages

Notes:

SO CUTE AND GAY