New on the Stack || February Edition

The Deliberate Reader is hosting a monthly link-up to share what you’ve added to your reading piles in the past month. I’m always drooling over new (or new-to-me) books, so this link-up is a perfect match for me!

Extraordinário (Wonder) by R.J. Palacio
How I got it: I bought it at Livraria Cultura.
Why I got it: Reading The Silkworm in Portuguese is a liiittle too hard for me at the moment, so I decided to shelve it for a while. I still need to read every day, so I decided to pick up something that interested me—YA lit—and was a little easier. It turns out this is perfect because it's dialogue-driven, and before, I was having trouble with descriptions.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
How I got it: I checked out the audiobook from the library.
Why I got it: The cover attracted me (sue me: I am a chronic judger-by-the-cover), and I like Japanese fiction (or in this case, Japanese American fiction). The narration and prose are beautiful.

Cleo by Lucy Coats
How I got it: e-ARC from Netgalley
Why I got it: The cover, mostly. But also because when I was younger I went through an intense period of loving historical fiction set in Ancient Egypt, and clearly, I still have trouble resisting.

Fragile Bones: Harrison & Anna by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
How I got it: e-ARC from Netgalley
Why I got it: I was kind of interested in it based on the typography on the cover, but I decided to request it after I read a good review on a book blog (I'm sorry I don't remember where I read it!).

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
How I got it: I got a sneak preview from Netgally and am in line at the library to borrow the full e-book. I hope those other people know how to return an ebook early.
Why I got it: It looked intriguing, and boy was my hunch correct.

Book Addicts Anonymous: Books I Haven't Finished (YET)

I’m the kind of reader that will never truly give up on a book because I take a great deal of pleasure in finishing what I started. I love reaching the place where there are less than 100 pages to go, because that means a book is going to move off my currently-reading shelf tonight.

Since I never give up on a book, I can even recall that I started reading Ivanhoe in third or fourth grade and still haven’t finished it. My reason? I got discouraged because I couldn’t understand it. Go figure.

Yes, I’m a book addict. And this chapter of Book Addicts Anonymous is titled: Books I Haven’t Finished (YET).

A Darker Shade of Magic
by V.E. Schwab
This book had me extremely interested at the start of the first chapter and completely hooked by the end of the second. It’s the best fantasy novel I’ve read in a long time. The main character, Kell, can travel between parallel versions of London, because he was born with a special magical ability. Each version of London has some degree of magic at work, but the degrees vary, and the societies have developed differently because of the way they interact with magic. Something deep, sinister, and mysterious be lurking here. I haven’t finished it because I was only given a 150 page excerpt. The full book will be published on February 24, and you can bet that I’m going to be buying it if my library doesn’t get an e-copy ASAP.

The Poem and the Journey: 60 Poems for the Journey of Life
by Ruth Padel
My new year’s resolution in 2014 was to learn how to better appreciate poetry. Ruth Padel is a tremendously successful author and poet, and in this book she takes apart a variety of poems to help you see what works, what doesn’t, and why. Academic Alisa was giddy at the possibilities of learning how to deeply appreciate poetry by reading this book. Reality Alisa got bored and preferred to read poems on a superficial level.

Mr. Fox
by Helen Oyeyemi
This author was aaalll over the book critic world 2013-2014, so naturally I wanted to see what everyone was talking about. I like reading literary novels because I enjoy trying new things and appreciating more esoteric and artfully-written books. I checked this book out multiple times from the library, but never reeaally got into it. After my latest loan expired, I couldn’t be bothered to sign up on the request list again.

Boy, Snow, Bird
by Helen Oyeyemi
I listened to an interview with the author on NPR’s Fresh Air and was so intrigued that I decided to get it from the library, despite my cool dates with Mr. Fox. Fairytale retellings, literary novel, postmodern angst, beautiful cover design that wooed my heart… it was all there. I do want to finish this book soon, but other books are more urgent at the moment.

The Silkworm
by Robert Galbraith
I bought this book in Portuguese, with the intention of reading something a little more difficult than my current ability. Turns out this is much more difficult, and reading this is more discouraging than helpful. O Bicho-da-Seda is staying shelved for a few more months.

What books got pushed to the bottom of your currently-reading stack?

New on the Stack || January Edition

The Deliberate Reader is hosting a link-up to share what you've added to your book pile in the past month. Such a fun idea, and I'm planning to continue it. I've added a few books, but I've mostly mourned the fact that I won't be reading as fast as I usually do because I'm reading in a second language - Portuguese!


Bíblia Vida Melhor Jovem
How I got it: I bought it at Cultura Livraria (a giant bookstore here in São Paulo)
Why I got it: Even though it's easy to get a Portuguese Bible for my phone or ipad, you retain more if you read on paper. I'm reading the book of John in Portuguese, one chapter per day, writing down all the new words in a notebook, and I'm already seeing a huge improvement in my vocabulary.

O Bicho-da-Seda (The Silkworm) by Robert Galbraith
How I got it: I bought it at Cultura Livraria.
Why I got it: I wanted to buy a book that was a little bit above my current reading level in Portuguese, something that wasn't too "literature-y", and I have been wanting to keep up with JK Rowling's career.

Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan
How I got it: My boyfriend, Silas gave it to me as a Christmas present.
Why I got it: He knows I love book design and Jane Austen.

Piteco: Ingá by Shiko
How I got it: borrowed it from Silas
Why I got it: Graphic novels are easier to read than normal novels, for me, because I understand most words used in dialogues, but not in descriptions. The descriptions are drawn! Also, this book is part of a series of homages paid to one of Brazil's most famous illustrators, Mauricio de Sousa, and I want to understand more about why his characters are so beloved.

Bidu: Caminhos by Eduardo Damasceno and Luís Felipe Garrocho
How I got it: borrowed it from Silas
Why I got it: Another in the series paying homage to Mauricio de Sousa.

Astronauta: Singularidade by Danilo Beyrouth
How I got it: borrowed it from Silas
Why I got it: Another in the series paying homage to Mauricio de Sousa.

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
How I got it: My bestie Qadria gave me the audio broadcast as a travel gift (audio books are awesome going-away gifts, btw)
Why I got it: I like sci-fi, and I was moving across the world, so Qadria knew that I would like something entertaining and small.

The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft
How I got it: My bestie Qadria gave me the audio version.
Why I got it: Sci-fi, mystery, entertainment, and the only space it takes is a few megabytes on my phone.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
How I got it: Again, Qadria is to blame!
Why I got it: Because Agatha Christie.

National Book Lovers Day: a list of my current reads

I am celebrating National Book Lovers Day by consuming an entire box of After Eights and a large chunk of my current reads. Let it be known: I support book polygamy.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Romans by R.C. Sproul
The Poem and the Journey: 60 Poems for the Journey of Life by Ruth Padel
Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp

Enjoy your book binging today!