Top Ten Tuesday #86 - Great books with too few reviews!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed That Have Under 2000 Reviews on Goodreads

I'm only going to list books that came out before 2016 because newer books will obviously have less reviews even if they are super popular. 

1. The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan & John Parke Davis - This is a MG fantasy adventure about a girl who ends up on a ship sailing a river that connects all worlds and a boy who people can't seem to remember at all. I loved it and it's sequel but it only has around 200 reviews! Carrie Ryan wrote 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth'.

2. In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - This is a YA historical fiction ghost story that was pretty good. It has around 1500 reviews on Goodreads. 

3. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty - This is a MG paranormal mystery about a girl who secretly lives in the basement of the Biltmore Mansion. Children start to go missing, there's a man in a black cloak, and it's a pretty spooky read. Has just over 1300 reviews. 

4. Rotters by Daniel Kraus - This is about a teenager who goes to live with his dad, who just happens to be a grave-robber, and joins in on the 'family business'. This was a dark and disgusting read but I loved it. Has around 650 reviews. 

5. The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw - One of the few Magical Realism adult novels I've read. I can't remember enjoying everything about the book but it did leave an impression. Has less than 900 reviews. 

6. The Charmed Sphere by Catherine Asaro - The first book in a fantasy romance series. There's lots of unique magic, war, and I really enjoyed it and a couple of it's sequels. It's over ten years old but still has less than 100 reviews! 

7. Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip - All of this author's books are gems and I always have a hard time choosing one over the other because it's the writing that sticks with me more than the stories themselves but I always always enjoy them. This one in particular is a fantasy romance and has less than 300 reviews. 

8. Gwenhwyfar by Mercedes Lackey - This is a sort of retelling about King Arthur's famous queen. It's told from her point of view with her as more of a warrior than just a pretty face. Has just over 200 reviews. 

9. The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman - One of my faves, this is a historical fiction about a woman living in a plagued city who rents a beautiful dress so she can sell herself to make money to save her baby. She also finds corpses for the student doctor who has promised to save her child. This one is dark and that's probably why I loved it so much. Has just under 600 reviews. 

10. From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury - Can you believe a Bradbury book has less than 300 reviews? If you've read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, you will notice lots of similarities between these two books. It's about a boy raised by ghosts, ghouls, etc but in a house instead of a cemetery. 

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I'd love to see what books you enjoyed that have few reviews! Please leave a link to your TTT or let me know if you've read any of these! 

Book Review: The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

I received a free physical arc of this book from The Reading Room and Crown Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or review.

Title: The Wolf Road

Author: Beth Lewis

Publisher: Crown Books

Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Genre: Adult Post-apocalyptic Thriller
Length: 352 pages
Source: Reading Room

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

Synopsis: 
True Grit meets The Road in this post-apocalyptic psychological thriller--narrated by a young girl who has just learned that her adopted father may be a serial killer, and that she may be his next victim.

In the remote wilds of a ravaged land, Elka has been raised by a man who isn't her father. Since finding her wandering in the woods when she was seven, he has taught her how to hunt, shoot, set snares and start fires--everything she needs to survive. All she knows of the world outside is gleaned from whispers of a cataclysmic event that turned the clock back on civilization by a hundred and fifty years and reduced governments and technology to shambles, leaving men at the mercy of the elements--and each other.

Everything changes when Elka learns that the man she has been calling father is harboring a terrible secret. Armed with nothing but her knife and her wiles, she decides to escape his clutches and sets out on a long journey to the frozen north in the hope of finding her long-lost parents.

But as the trail of blood and bodies grows in her path, Elka realizes that daddy won't be letting his little girl go without a fight. If she's going to survive, she'll have to turn and confront not just him, but the truth about what he's turned her into.

My Thoughts: 
All Elka knows of her parents is memorized from a letter. She still has her mean old Nana but when a thunderhead rips through their shack, drops a tree on Nana, and carries Elka deep into the forest, she is alone in the world at the young age of seven. Elka stumbles upon a cabin inhabited by a tattooed man that she dubs 'Trapper' that takes her in, raises her, and gives her her name. Trapper teaches her to hunt, skin animals, and survive, and in exchange she isn't allowed to ask him questions. But ten years later when she travels to the nearest settlement to trade furs, she finds a Wanted poster with Trapper's tattooed face on it. Disgusted by the fact that she's been living with a killer, Elka takes off into the wild, heading north to find her parents. But Elka has gone from being the hunter to being the hunted.

Set in the unforgiving landscape of BC and the Yukon territory, The Wolf Road takes place sometime after what the characters call the 'Damn Stupid' in which bombs were dropped across the country. Some of these bombs fell in the far north, sparking a gold rush that Elka's parents rushed off to when she was a little girl. This post-apocalyptic bombing has set the world back a hundred or so years and made life hard and the people harder. In the North, nature has taken over and you have to be tougher than tough to survive.

Luckily for Elka, she has spent the majority of her life hunting and surviving in this harsh environment. She has learned to be tough and this gets her out of (and sometimes into) plenty of difficult situations. She can do it all on her own and doesn't need anyone, at least until she rescues a girl in distress and they spark up a slow-burning friendship that turns into an 'I save you, you save me' sort of situation. Because of this interaction with a decent human being after living so many years in isolation, Elka undergoes a sort of transformation that changes who she is, knows herself to be, and who she wants to be.

The character development in this book is phenomenal. Elka is the voice of this story and we see her start out as a spitfire seven-year-old, turn into a tough and capable teenager, and grow as a person as she makes friends, finds herself, and learns to lives with her mistakes and bad deeds. It was easy for me to love her despite all her flaws. Elka is the kind of character that you want to hug and tell her that everything's going to be okay, but at the same time, you know you have to keep your distance because she isn't the hugging type and has a pointy knife that she isn't afraid to use. 

The Wolf Road is a grim and gritty survival story with a tough-as-nails, anti-hero main character that I will not soon forget. I loved every moment of this book. I was surprised to learn that this is Lewis's first novel because it is so very, very good. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future!

My Rating:

5 stars

The Sunday Post #26 - Fireworks?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you received, share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead, and more.

Happy Fourth of July to my American readers!
We are going to miss the fireworks again this year but we have sparklers and those little pop things that you throw to hold us over.
This week has been pretty uneventful. Just a trip or two to the park. Some book mail. Lots of rain.
In the garden, I've got massive cucumbers and tomatoes as well as bell peppers, banana peppers, and jalapenos producing. I've been waiting ever so patiently for the jalapenos so I can make poppers. Oh, and I've got to candy some for my hubby. If you've never had candied jalapenos before, you should get on that. I usually get mine at craft fairs and festivals but I'm excited to try them myself this year. 

This Past Week On The Blog
Book Blitz & Giveaway: Therian by Roxanne Kade
Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Deep End by Katy Newton Naas
Top Ten Tuesday - Book to Movie Adaptations
Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
June Wrap Up 
Book Blast & $100 Giveaway: Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean
July TBR + Bookmark Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves 

Coming Soon
Book Review: The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis
Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer
Book Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Books I Finished This Week

What I'm Currently Reading

(physical book)
Dreams of Distant Shores by Patricia A. McKillip
So far, this is not what I was expecting, but mostly just because I'm so used to this author's books being set in fantasy worlds and these all seem to be set in our world. I still love her beautiful writing though. 

(ebook)
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
I wish I could say something more than how disturbing  the first chapter of this is, but I've been so busy the past few days that I haven't been able to read.
I hand-painted a bookmark for this book (even though I only have an eARC for now) and am giving it away for this month's TBR GIVEAWAY if you are interested! 

Have a great week, readers! 

Stacking the Shelves #64 - All the Books I Forgot to Haul Last Week

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by TYNGA'S REVIEWS that features the books we bought, borrowed, were gifted, and were given for review.

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I've been slacking bad when it comes to the Stacking the Shelves. I'm usually pretty busy on Fridays and I always forget to take pics or type up a post. When Saturday rolls around I just think, "Oops. I'll do it next week," and then the same thing happens again. Sooo, this is 2-3 weeks worth of books (plus one that I've had for a month or two but keep forgetting to add) and I'm probably forgetting a few, like always. 

In My Mailbox

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor - I've heard mixed things about this book but I'm still pretty excited to read it. It's been too long since I read any time-travel books. 

The Jolley-Rogers and the Cave of Doom by Jonny Duddle - The second book in the Jolley-Rogers series for children, this is going to be a fun read. Thank you, Templar!

Dreams of Distant Shores by Patricia A. McKillip - A collection of stories by one of my favorite fantasy authors. I am reading this right now and falling in love with her writing all over again. Thank you so much, Tachyon!!!

Darkstalker by Tui T. Sutherland - DRAGONS! This is the first book in a new Wings of Fire series called Legends. Many thanks to Scholastic Press for this review copy.

The Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen - Plague sweeps the land and the MC is surprised to find that she has it. Nielsen's books are much loved so I'm eager to read this. Thanks again, Scholastic!

Purchased

I bought this one for my hubby for Father's Day with a cute little card from our daughter asking him to read the Star Wars stories to her. That was what... three weeks ago? See, I'm having a hard time keeping up! 

And here's where I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting a few books.
But it is late, I'm tired, and that is how I feel about that.
Maybe I'll make myself a note to do my STS a few days in advance this week. 

July 2016 TBR (+ a GIVEAWAY)

July is going to be a very busy month for me. We have lots of day-cation plans (not spending the night anywhere but definitely getting out of the house!), big home projects, and I also have lots of arcs to read. I am hoping that I can fit in lots of reading and some blogging but I'm going to focus on living life more than anything so I may possibly be a little mia around here. That being said, I'm participating in the Fantasy Favorites Readathon and we are almost half a month into COYER so I hope to do well with those but it's all up in the air right now. 

I have another bookmark giveaway (at the bottom of this post) so be sure to enter!

(struck out = finished reading)

For Review

1. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (before Aug. 9th)
2. Dreams of Distant Shores by Patricia A. McKillip
3. The Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen (before Aug. 30th)
4. Darkstalker by Tui T. Sutherland
5. The Jolley-Rogers and the Cave of Doom by Jonny Duddle (before August 2nd)
6. Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall by Aaron Safronoff (before August 11)
7. A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee (before Aug. 2)

My Lists / Challenges

1. Inferno by Dan Brown (library)
2. The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum
3. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

For Fun
(For when I read all / most of my arcs & library books!)
1. Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman 
2. Everland by Wendy Spinale
3. Into the Dim by Janet Taylor
4. Some Kind of Happiness by Clare Legrand (library)
5. Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman

Maybe (Library holds)
1. Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine
2. The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
3. Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

My most anticipated read for this month is NEVERNIGHT and I absolutely love the typography of the title (which was created by Cuddlebuggery, if you weren't aware). I just couldn't pass up the chance to make myself a bookmark for it and I really hoped I could get a physical arc but alas, I only got an e-arc. Not that I'm complaining! I'm thrilled to read it and I'll most likely pre-order my own copy if I love it. Making bookmarks is a creative outlet for me and I hand-painted and laminated an extra one to give away to you guys! 

The Rules: 
1. Ends 7/31/2016 at midnight EST
2. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL! You're welcome!
3. If you are under 13 please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter as you will be sharing personal shipping information (that I will not share with anyone.)
4. Winner will be chosen randomly through Rafflecopter and will be emailed within a day or two.
5. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.
6. Please be honest. Winning entries will be verified.

Good luck!!!

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Book Blast & $100 Giveaway: Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean

  Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean 

  My sisters think I’m crazy. But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love. She told me to search far and wide for him. I haven’t stopped looking ever since. When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence. It’s destiny. My sisters say I’m chasing a dream. Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment? My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand. Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird. The memory silences them. The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable—and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy. I will find Paul . . . I will. 

  Praise for Chasing Fireflies

It was like Taylor Dean left a trail of chocolate chips leading to a plate of delicious cookies at the end. Yummy! I had to eat every single one and now I’m full and feasting on the satisfaction of a well written story. -Author Charissa Stastny Taylor Dean is such a creative and skilled author that she has the ability to make the unusual and the unthinkable seem real. -Lisa, Goodreads Reviewer As always I loose myself in Taylor’s books, experiencing rather than reading the story, from that first glance and butterflies in my belly, to the inevitable heartache, to the amazingly captivating events that lead us to the blissful happily ever after. -Mylissa's Reviews and Book Thoughts 

 

Excerpt:

 Am I chasing a dream? Just like the fireflies my sisters and I tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. The fireflies always eluded us, flying within inches of our eager fingertips, their incandescent lights teasing us with the promise of magic. Just like the elusive fireflies, will my dream of the mysterious Paul always be just short of fulfillment? Am I clutching at the tenuous threads of enchantment? Is my desire to find Paul just a silly fantasy? Maybe it’s high time I accept the foolishness of my dreams. Maybe it’s time I live in reality and stop dabbling in the realms of the supernatural. Then I remember the Red Bird and my confidence bolsters. My vivid memories of Miss Pearl remind me that she hadn’t felt like a lady who would lead me astray. It’s real. It’s all real. Please let it be real.  

Author Taylor Dean 

 Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blast Giveaway Details

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/21/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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