My "To Read" List

      A new year means new books! There are quite a few books that should be coming out in 2013 that I am so looking forward to buying and reading. In the same fashion as my last post, I am going to just tell you guys which books I am personally looking at just in case you see any titles or authors you have any interest in.
      The first book I plan to read in 2013 is The Selection  by Kiera Cass. I bought this book a while ago and never got around to reading it, so I plan to finish it soon. The next book I bought and plan to read is City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I had been meaning to start reading the Mortal Instruments series since I have already read the books in the Infernal Devices series that have been published. But, since the movie version of City of Bones is meant to come out this summer, I want to be sure I've read the book first so I can see the movie after I have already established my own concept of the story.
      I keep a bookmark that is really just an index card with books written on it. Every time I finish a book that has a sequel, or other books in the series that are yet to be published, I write it down so I can have a running list and not forget. This is what my list looks like so far:

1. The Kill Order by James Dashner (which came out in August, I'm just waiting to purchase it until I finish the other two books I mentioned)
2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (the third book in the Infernal Devices series, which was said to be expected in March of this year)
3. Divergent #3 (Untitled) by Veronica Roth (I cannot wait to find out the title of the third book and when to be expecting it for sure, although for now it is said to be expected in the fall)
4. Requiem by Lauren Oliver (the third book in the Delirium series, which is supposed to be published in March of this year as well)
5. Tempest #3 by Tracy Deebs (the third book in the Tempest series, that I am unsure about enjoying, but I feel that I need to finish the plot for my own curiosity - it's supposedly coming out this summer)
6. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (the next book in the His Fair Assassin series, expected to come out on April 2)
7. Of Triton by Anna Banks (the sequel of Of Poseidon, which I just read, which is said to hit stores on May 28)


     So that'd my "To Read" list, and I hope that you found a few books you may want to add to your own "To Read" list, too! If you had questions about publications dates I hope I was able to clear some of that up for you! If you have any questions remaining, feel free to ask!


                             Sincerely,

                Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit

Beloved Books of 2012

      So, last year I had plenty of time, it seemed, to be reading a book every day. When one was finished, I already had one in my room waiting for me to pick up next. Then school started and I experienced my first semester of college. I was busier than I thought I would be, I was less of a loner than I thought I would be, and I definitely went to bed & woke up later than I thought I would. With all of those things working together, I didn't have even a fraction of the reading time I had available in the beginning of the year. But, I read every day for the majority of 2012, and I discovered and enjoyed many books. Hopefully in 2013 I will be able to make more time for leisure reading at school, but this semester I may have much more work to do. Regardless, I will make the effort and post reviews as often as I can to keep the promise of writing in this blog to myself. But, anyway, the point of this post is to share with you the books I did have the pleasure of reading in 2012 (I kept a list in one of my notebooks). Here they are: 

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4. Legend by Marie Lu
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
7. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
8. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
9. The Death Cure by James Dashner
10. Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
11. Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
12. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
13. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
14. Insurgent by Veronica Roth 
15. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
16. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
17. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
18. Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs
19. Tigerlily by Jodi Lynn Anderson 
20. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

     Since I know how busy I will most likely be, my goal is to read just as much as I did last year instead of more, because I was reading a lot. But, if I can read more, then I will definitely be happy and make it a yearly challenge. I started this blog around the time I read Grave Mercy, so I had already passed the point in time where all of these books were fresh in my mind enough for me to feel like I could give an optimal review. But, I hope to re-open some of them to remind myself of the details so I can review some. If one of these books sounds interesting to you, or you want my honest opinion of it, I'd be more than happy to specifically review that book next. 


     I hope that if you were searching for a book to read next that this list helped you find a few to take out at the library or buy for your own collection! If you have any specific questions let me know! 



                  Sincerely, 

        Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit 

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers REVIEW

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Series #1)

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Publication Date: 2012

     Since reading The Hunger Games series in February, I've really been into reading books that star a kick-ass female protagonist who makreaes me wish I could live a few days in her shoes or just escape into the world that she lives in for a little while as a spectator. In this book, Ismae is our leading lady, and she lives in the European country of Brittany in the 1400s. I've always had a thing for the Medieval and Renaissance periods, so when I flipped to the first page of text and saw that the date read "1485" I was really excited to see what historical aspects were incorporated into the story. I love books with a real historical basis, because since it's based on truth I feel like it makes the story that much more significant to me knowing some of these people were living, breathing individuals dealing with decisions and obstacles that I am so enthralled with now in 2012. But anyway, before I get more into the wonderful literary aspects of the book, I want to talk about the esthetics because I am the kind of reader who does judge a book by it's cover.

    The cover of the book is really well done, complete with the quote "Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?" I love the quote, and the spine of the book has a little wolf image on it which I thought was cool/cute. The actual hard cover is your run-of-the-mill black cover with gold writing on the spine. I tend to like when a symbol of some sort is placed on the front of the hard cover to give it some mystery and prettiness, but it's really not that big of a deal. Past the publication and dedication pages, there is a map of the parts of Europe in which the story takes place, which I always love to see in books so that I can go back and re-trace the character's journey. Past the map is a dramatis personae, which I also loved because I love the theater and plays and there were a few allusions I picked up on that hinted at the theater, and some of the interactions between characters are deceitful and false as if it were "all just a ruse or a play."

   Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. It's a good book. I didn't really feel like it was slow at all in the beginning (which I feel with most books that I read and end up loving), and I finished the book really quickly because I couldn't bring myself to put it down even though it's a huge book and my hands aren't big enough to easily hold it open for hours! The story of Ismae is empowering and touching, and you really can't help but root for her through the whole book. You quickly find yourself thinking about the other characters as she would, and sometimes I even found myself reading some of the things she said out loud (as embarrassing as that is) as if I were reading her lines in a show. You also learn to love Anne, the Duchess, who is actually a real historical figure that had a life just how it is described in the book. Other characters you're introduced to don't really exist historically, but after reading this book it's really hard to believe they didn't. 

   This book has a little of everything. Action (tons of it). Love. True Friendship. Faith. Death. Sorrow. Joy. And, since the book is the first in a trilogy it certainly leaves you wanting more, but the ending is not one of those heart-wrenching cliff hangers that you want to re-read over and over because you can't buy the next book until next  year! If you find yourself reading dystopian books similar to the Hunger Games, there's a good chance you'll like this book, but the books have very different plots, Ismae and Katniss are definitely not comparable, and the time period is in the past - not the future so they can only be so much in common. 

   If you have any specific questions or a question about an aspect I didn't cover, feel free to ask, but my bottom line is: read it. It's worth it! If you've been wondering about this book or searching for a new book, I hope this helped!

                             Sincerely,

                     

                  Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit 

                            

Welcome!

After having the idea of creating a blog exactly like this one for quite a while now, I finally got down to business. For years I've been trying to share my music with people, but I've always been worried about the quality of sound or never had the time to just sit down and film a solid performance that I was happy with. But with my books and literature, I don't have to worry about any of that, and I definitely have the means to share my thoughts and opinions with people without having to worry about camera quality or messing up (although typos will happen). My intention is to review all of the books I read - both the books I love and don't love - but in all honesty it could evolve into anything. I could start bringing poetry I read into the mix, I could throw my own poetry into the mix, I could share music I love here and there or just write about interesting personal experiences. I could do anything really, since it is my own safe haven. But, my intentions are to keep this site literature-based so that I can help and bond with my fellow bookworms and maybe even discover/learn a thing or two myself. I have quite a few books that I can provide reviews for, although I may not have picked the most opportune time to start a site based on my ability to read and complete a large number of books in a timely fashion since school starts in a little under two weeks. But, I'll be the first person to stay in on Friday night to finish my book rather than be at the big party, so I'm sure I'll be able to make the time! Well, it is time for me to wrap this up and go, but to whomever stumbles upon this site, I hope you enjoy. And, if nobody ever stumbles upon this site, then at least I now have a place to put all of my thoughts regarding the books I read and love and then obsess over until I find a new book. Well, Goodnight! :)

-Spenser