Challenge Wrap Ups: Rock My TBR Challenge

Last week I did my first round of an end of the year wrap up where I do weekly posts and challenge wrap ups. In addition to doing a favorite books of the year thing, once a week in December I am going to do a challenge wrap up to talk about some of my favorite books in the categories that I did challenges for. I did a total of four challenges this year. This week I am doing my back list books or the Rock My TBR challenge. I will be reading one more backlist book this year but it's in a series so I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts.

My goal for the year was to read 25 backlist books that I already owned. And while I did read 27 backlist books, I think only about 20 of them were books that I already owned but I am calling this one a win for the Rock My TBR Challenge hosted by The YA Book Traveller. But I did read 153 books so far for the year which means about 1/6 of the books I read were all published before 2016. I think that is still pretty good considering so much of book blogging is about the newest books.

And honestly I loved so many of these books. A few of them will probably be on my list of favorite books of the year. There were a handful of them that I had been waiting a long time to read and am very glad that I took the time to read them, Here is the list of some of my favorites.

1.) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

I have wanted to read this book for years. Years. That is not an overstatement. Like I have wanted to read this book for at least 10 years. I probably had it on my Amazon wishlist when I first set up said wishlist. But I never actually read it until now when I picked up a copy at a Goodwill. And seriously, what was I waiting for? This book is phenomenal.

As many of you probably know, I am kind of picky when it comes to mysteries. I like being able to solve it but not too quickly. I also like being surprised but because there wasn't clues. I feel like with the mystery here I wasn't able to solve it, there were not many clues, and I still loved it. It messed with my head and caught me off guard and I loved it. It was so good and I need to read more Agatha Christie because seriously, why did I wait so long to read her books?

But I would absolutely recommend this one. If you are like me and have for some reason not read any Agatha Christie, take the time to read this one. Especially if you like mysteries. It's amazing, I loved it.

2.) Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

I considered not including this book on this list because it is one of my favorite books of the year, like top three favorite books. But if I am being honest I have to include this one on this list because it is my favorite book from this challenge. I read it because of this challenge and I will forever be grateful to this challenge because of that. Whatever the reason, I read it and I loved it.

Because honestly this was a really amazing book. It is full of phenomenal characters (LUKA LOWE, you guys!), insane amounts of action and adventure, and it may have me reconsidering my thoughts that I don't like alternate histories and road trips. What I'm saying is that this book is not one I expected to love. It's almost the perfect storm of things I don't usually like all working together to create something I did like. Is that a thing? I feel like it should be a thing.

If you are interested in this book I would definitely suggest listening to the audio. I think it kind of made it what it was for me. It's a great read and perfect for the audio format so yes, listen to it.

3.) The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Okay so once again a book, or well series, that I wanted to read forever and haven't. Also another book that I can't believe I waited so long to read this book. I feel like my elementary/middle school librarian let me down by not somehow ensuring that I read this series instead of whatever else I was reading.

Because as I am sure all you fans of Tamora Pierce know, this is an amazing YA fantasy series that kind of set the tone and stage for what we know of today as YA fantasy. It's got an amazing world and great characters that we get to grow and develop with throughout their life which I always enjoy. It also has a really cool fantasy world that we get to explore which is full of magic, adventure, and mythology. It's a classic sword and sorcery series and I loved it.

 I would totally recommend this series. If you were somehow living under a rock called Goosebumps and The Babysitter's Club like me in the 90's and missed this series take the time to read it now because it's totally worth it.

4.) Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads)

This is another one of those books that am kind of surprised and ashamed that I hadn't read until this year. I wanted to read it when I first learned about it back in 2014. I even had an advance copy that I picked up my first year at BEA. But for some reason I didn't read it until this year.

But I am really glad that I took the time to finally read it because this book was really fantastic. It's a really great piece of historical fiction as it takes the reader to Virginia in the 1950's during the segregation process and tells a really honest story of some of the horrible things that occurred during that period. But the diversity with this series goes even further with LGBTQIA characters. It was really complex and interesting and I really loved it. It's a total me book and I'm not sure why I waited to read it. I don't even have a good excuse.

If you haven't read this book and you are at all interested in it, definitely read it. I think it's something that will appeal to a broad audience because of the many different themes about diversity and acceptance. This is one of a few Robin Talley books I read this year and I definitely want to read more.

5.) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - My Review
(Amazon / Goodreads )

I know so many of you are obsessed with this book and honestly I was a little worried about it for that reason. I didn't want to hate it and then have the collective blogosphere shun me because I didn't enjoy this book. But rest assured, I loved it. It also made me sob while in a car with all my coworkers driving to a statewide meeting, so there's that.

But to be honest, everyone who loves this book is totally right, it's everything. Not only does it have an amazing story full of great themes and surprises that kept me engaged and interested, but it also has gorgeous images as well. It's not quite a graphic novel or a short story but is probably something in between. That in and of itself made for a unique and interesting read.

I would definitely recommend this book. If you are like me and putting off reading it for some reason or just haven't yet, you must change that immediately. This book is everything everyone says it is.

Honorable Mentions:

6.) Elantris by Brandon Sanderson - My Review
What favorites list is complete without a Sanderson book? (My audiobooks list, apparently). I had plans to read more Cosmere books this year but I didn't end up doing that for some reason.
But anyway, I did really enjoy Elantris. It is not my favorite of his books but it was really fantastic.

7.) You by Caroline Kepnes - My Review
I could have included this above, and honestly I initially did. But I moved it to honorable mentions because I explained much of my affection for it last week in my audiobook wrap up. Just know, it's amazing.

8.) The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger - My Review
I had such a hard time deciding if this should be on the main list or not. I ended up putting it down here just because I'm not finished with the series and also because I didn't love all the books. I mean I did but also I didn't.

There you have it, all my favorite backlist books of the year. I loved so many of them that at least a few will end up on my favorites of the year list. Not to mention that this was a great year for reading books I had wanted to read for a long time and somehow did not. I marathoned some full series, and I read some books that have been in my TBR for a decade. If you want to see the full list on all the audiobooks I listened to this year and to find my thoughts, check out the Rock My TBR Challenge page HERE. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

*** This is the second book in a duology so if you have not read Wolf by Wolf proceed with caution. Also, what are you waiting for? Wolf by Wolf was amazing! READ IT! Here's my review. ***

Title: Blood for Blood Series: Wolf by Wolf #2 Written by: Ryan Graudin Published: October 11, 2016 by Amulet Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The action-packed, thrilling sequel to Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf.  There would be blood.  Blood for blood.  Blood to pay.  An entire world of it.  For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun.  Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.  But dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all: how far can you go for the ones you love?  This gripping, thought-provoking sequel to Wolf by Wolf will grab readers by the throat with its cinematic writing, fast-paced action, and relentless twists.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at BEA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Oh wow! Wow, wow, wow. This book was everything I was expecting it to be. It was a non-stop thrill ride of action and adventure, great characters, and pain. So much pain. I was late to the Wolf by Wolf party but I took my seat on the bandwagon and seriously loved that book. It was amazing and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next in this series. And this was everything the first book was but more.

More action and adventure, for one. I thought that the Axis Tour motorcycle race and attempt to assassinate Hitler had high stakes but that's nothing to Yael on the run. Around every corner, after every turn there was some tight scrape to get out of. When I thought it couldn't get more intense, it did. If you are like me and are a plot-driven reader who likes a ton of action in their books this is right up your alley. It really builds to an amazing and thrilling conclusion that had me stress reading in my safe space. Not to mention it is the kind of book you will get so engrossed in you will not want to put it down. I did not expect to finish the nearly 500 pages of this book in two days but I couldn't stop. I just kept reading through all the stress and feels. Because seriously, this book is full of feels that will wreck you in the best possible way.

A lot of why this book is so full of feels is because of the characters. Because this book also has really amazing characterization. I seriously love these characters so much, they are some of my absolute favorites. I love them so much because they are incredibly complex and multi-dimensional. Throughout these books we have seen them at their best and their worst. You see them succeed and you see them vulnerable. All of this makes them easy to root for and want to see succeed. In this one we alternate perspectives between Yael, Luka, and Felix which adds a really interesting dimension to the book as we learn more about them and their pasts while seeing the present through their eyes. It makes for great character development and a great read.

But the world of this book is really fantastic too. This is a book that defies genre classification and a lot of that has to do with the world. Very simply it is an alternate history but it definitely goes deeper than that. I was blown away in the first book the way that this blended history and speculative fiction and it does it again. The author clearly did her research on World War II but she took that as a jumping off point for an complex science fiction like world and plot. I loved the way the two blended as we learned more about the skin shifting, how it works, and its history. It made for a fascinating setting and a great jumping off point for this story.

This is absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. It was everything I was hoping it would be, everything I knew it would be. It was thrilling, engrossing, and painful with amazing characters and an amazing story.

I give Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin 10 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! Without a doubt by this book. If you loved Wolf by Wolf you will love Blood for Blood. I seriously loved it and I cannot say enough good things about it. It's so creative and entralling. If you like books with a lot of action check this out. If you like character-driven stories check this out. If you like sci-fi, historical fiction. If you like nice things, read this book.

Have you read Blood for Blood? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Title: Wolf by Wolf Series: Wolf by Wolf #1 Written by: Ryan Graudin Published: October 20, 2015 by Little, Brown Books fro Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Her story begins on a train.  The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.  Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin’s brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move.  But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?  From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at BEA in 2015. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Add this to the list of "books I should have read way earlier." I got a copy of this at BEA last year and while I was interested, I never picked it up. Until now. And I wish I had read it sooner because this book was so good.

This is a fantastic alternate history that reimagines the 1950's if the Axis Powers had won WWII. I usually don't like alternate histories but this one was subtle. It takes real historical figures and incidences and uses it to build a world that is complex and creative. It's odd in that it reads like historical fiction and doesn't at the same time. You can tell that the author did her research into what may have led to an Axis victory, which was really fantastic and kind of grounded the book in reality. It's one of the things I love about historical fiction and speculative fiction at the same time, that it can make something completely imaginary seem possible but at the same time creative. And Wolf by Wolf was an absolutely creative book. It's one of the most inventive stories I have read in a while.

One of the more creative things about this book was the characters. Our main character is Yael who is a ski shifter masquerading as Adele Wolfe. She has a devastating history that we learn about in periodic flashbacks and it makes her very sympathetic. That on top of her determination and inner strength made her a fantastic protagonist. But I also loved all the secondary characters here. It's honestly a book full of antagonists which made it all the more thrilling. Yael has to be careful not to be found out which is made harder by characters who know Adele. Particularly, her brother Felix and Luka Lowe. Both characters were interesting and made things complicated. My personal favorite was Luka. I freaking love Luka Lowe and his subtle roguish charm. He's just so fantastic and fun. And while there is not a lot of romance in this book, I got some serious book boyfriend and shipping feels from him. There's even a novella from his perspective so you know I'm reading that.

On top of that it has a very captivating and thrilling plot. The stakes are incredibly high here for a few reasons, first the Resistance's plan and second the race. Both storylines blended together so well and really added a lot of suspense. The author did a great job descriptively immersing the reader in the race as the characters are taken all around the Northern Hemisphere. There is a ton of action here and it definitely had me on the edge of my seat as it neared the conclusion. It's not a book that is necessarily twisty but there are still unexpected surprises and instances where the main character has to use her wits and skills to get out out them. It all made for an exciting read from start to finish. Speaking of finish, when it finally reached the climax, I couldn't put it down. I've said on the blog before that I don't state up late reading, especially if I have to finish a book, but it was so hard to stop myself with Wolf by Wolf. I actually got to a point where I could stop, just before the climax, and I forced myself to put it down so I could sleep a few hours and then got up early to finish it. I never do that! I like sleep too much to do that! But this book was so good.

I have heard nothing but good things about this book and now that I've read it, I get why. It's addicting and thrilling. It has a complex plot and characters you will fall for. I'm so glad I took the time to read it this month as part of ARC April and now I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I will definitely be getting a copy at BEA again this year.

I give Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin 10 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction set in WWII but it's not your average book from the period, it's something totally unique. Which is why I would recommend this to everyone. It's as a truly unique and captivating book that has both engaging character moments and thrilling action. A great read!

Have you read Wolf by Wolf? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!