Tag Archives: #Fiction

Lack of ADD/ADHD in YA/Adult Fiction

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discussion

I know in a previous post, I said I wanted to try and have one discussion post once a week.  Well, this week there will be two discussion posts.  This one is more personal, though.

Recently, I have been searching for YA/Adult fiction books where the MC has ADD/ADHD. I am fully aware of the Percy Jackson books, but those books are more middle grade.  ADD/ADHD are chronic disorders, they never go away.  I was diagnosed when I was eight years old, and yes I was prescribed Adderall.  I would take it first  thing in the morning before school.  I was on it for a year and a half.  For that year and a half, I had a difficult time. sleeping at night.  I eventually got taken off Adderall and had to find other ways to focus especially on homework. Some homework was more difficult for me to do than others, like anything to do with math, as it is one of my weaknesses.  I also hated anything to do with math, it didn’t interest me at all.  I found it boring. When I got to middle school I found that listening to music with headphones really helped me stay focused on what I was doing Music helped me block everything else out.

It would just be really nice to see more YA/Adult fiction books with characters that have the same disorder that I do and how they manage it.  I think ADD/ADHD deserve the same attention and representation that other disorders get in YA.  ADD/ADHD is more common than people realize.  Finding YA/Adult novels with characters that have these disorders, and these disorders are the main topic has been extremely difficult.  I’ve searched, I’ve searched lists on Goodreads, and there are more non-fiction books than fiction books.  There are so many books that lack all kinds of representation, and I’ve seen that if you want something written in a book, write the book yourself.  Not everyone has the ability to be able to write a book.

Friday 56 #4

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Friday 56After taking a two week hiatus from blogging, I am back.  I also currently have a theme for my Friday 56 posts.

Friday 56 was created from Freda over at Freda’s Voice

Here are the rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

June 3, 2016- “Did you really blow up your aunt , Harry?”—Page 56 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

#T5W Book Theme Songs

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top-5-wednesday

1.) “The Entertainer”- Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood

The cover reminds me of a circus and whenever I hear “The Entertainer” I think of a circus.

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2.) Independent Woman by Destiny’s Child- Zodiac by Romina Russell

I always felt that the main character Rho was independent.

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3.) “Paris Holds the Key to your Heart” from the Anastasia Soundtrack- A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

“Paris hold the key to her past.
Yes, Princess, I’ve found you at last.
No more pretend,
You’ll be gone,
That’s the end.”- This part of the song reminds me of when Sara and her father are reunited.

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4.) “Flawless” by Beyonce- The Heir by Keira Cass

I don’t know why, but I just feel like these two go very well together.

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5.) “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”- The Distance to Home by Jenn Bishop

A book about baseball and one of the most baseball songs ever are a match made in heaven.

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Cover images are from Goodreads.

May16 Reading Wrap-up, Currently Reading, June TBR

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monthly-wrap-up

I read five books in May which I feel really good about.  Three of the books I read were for review.  Many of you may have noticed that I added what I am currently reading, and what I am planning on reading in June.  Not every wrap-up will be like this, however as I am currently in the middle of reading a book, I thought I would add it in.  Also, I usually never make TBR’s because I never stick to them, the month of June is an exception as I will be taking part in a readathon and buddy reading a book.

Chasing the North Star by Robert Morgan-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for honest review.

Recently, I have been delving more into historical fiction, and this book is no exception.  Chasing the North Star is about the journey north to escape slavery.  This is only the second book I have read about slavery, the first being Beloved by Toni Morrison.

I loved that this book was a journey, and that the journey really showed the trials and tribulations of escaping slavery to the north.  Chasing the North Star is told from two different points of view.  The first is Jonah, his story is told from a third person omniscient point of view.  With this point of view, I was really engaged as a reader and was able to immerse myself into his story.

Readers aren’t introduced to the second character, Angel until page 75.  Angel’s story is told from a first person point of view, which makes this book really interesting in how it is written.  At some point in the book, Jonah and Angel’s stories come together️.  When their stories come together, the chapters alternate between Jonah and Angel.  I normally don’t enjoy alternating points of view in books, however it worked extremely well and didn’t disrupt the flow of the story.

I feel like Chasing the North Star did a much better job of showing the journey than Beloved.  While I did love Beloved, I felt like I was living Jonah and Angel’s journey more.  I loved both Angel and Jonah’s stories equally and how their relationship added a sense of lightheartedness and humor.  I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I loved this book, especially Harry and Ron’s notes. I gave it four stars because I was hoping for more. I would have liked if there was more information about some of the beasts, and if more beasts were included in the book. Despite the length of the book, it was informative and fun to read.

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

There was a lot of information packed into this short book. it was very informative and I learned quite a bit about Quidditch. Like, Fantastic Beasts, it was fun to read.

The Distance to Home by Jenn Bishop-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an eArc of this book from Netgalley for an honest review

I don’t know where to start with this book other than the fact that I loved it. The Distance to Home combined my favorite sport, baseball with an amazing story of love, loss, friendship, and one character’s journey back to playing the sport that she loved. This book was beautifully written, and I loved Quinnen’s development as a character. I can’t wait to read more from Jenn Bishop!

Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an eArc of this book from Netgalley for an honest review

I gave this four stars because it was told from multiple points of view, which at times was confusing.  There were times, due to the multiple P.O.V’s, I felt the story was a little bit all over the place.  Those are the only negatives that I have with this book.  I loved the friendships that formed throughout the story, especially because of how different all the characters are, they still found a way to become friends.  While everyone was different, they all had Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet in common, it was the place where they all came together, and for some became home.  Another thing that I enjoyed very much, was the vivid, imaginative, descriptive language H.P. Wood used.  For example, on page 26, “Everything about the Cabinet is grimy, and fusty, and strange.” I absolutely loved this description, I was able to put my own pictures in my mind about the Cabinet.  Also due to the writing, I was able to fully immerse myself in the time period and setting of the novel.  I will definitely be reading more from H.P. Wood in the future.

I am currently reading ME and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.

June TBR

This is the first time that I actually have a set TBR.  This month I am participating in Tome Topple.  Tome Topple was created by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes, and it runs from June 6th to June 19th.  The only requirement is that the book has to be over 500 pages.  For the readathon I will be reading a bind up of Homer’s The Illiad and the Odyssey, which clocks in at 731 pages. For these two weeks, I will not be reading anything but this epic.

The second book that I am reading is The Crown by Keira Cass.  I’m really excited to read this one as it will be my first ever buddy read.  I’ll be buddy reading this with Yana from Books for Infinity.

Friday 56 #2

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Friday 56The Friday 56 was created by Freda’s Voice

• Grab a book, any book.
• Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
• Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
• Post it.
• Add the url of your post in the Linky back at her blog.

“Something very painful was going on in Harry’s mind.”- Page 56 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

The Book Blogger Test (Book Tag)

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I was tagged by Leslie at Leslie’s Library to do this tag.

What are your top three book pet hates?

1.) Insta-love, I can’t stand it

2.) When there isn’t any character development

3.) When chapters switch character point of views, it can sometimes disrupt the flow of a book.  I can tolerate this when it’s done well and doesn’t disrupt the flow.

Describe your perfect reading spot

My bed or in my chair with a blanket, my iPod and tea.

Tell us three book confessions

1.) I’ve never read any Colleen Hoover and don’t intend to

2.) I’m not a fan of romance

3.) I’m intimidated by the larger Classics

When was the last time you cried during a book?

The Fault in our Stars

How many books are on your bedside table?

I don’t have any books on my bedside table.

What is your favourite snack to eat while you’re reading?

I don’t really eat when I read.

Name three books you would recommend to everyone

1.) Harry Potter

2.) The Chronicles of Narnia

3.) Lord of the Rings

Show us a picture of your favourite bookshelf on your bookcase

While I do have a proper bookcase, I don’t have a favorite shelf.  There isn’t a specific way that I organize my books.

Write how much books mean to you in just three words

An adventure awaits.

What is your biggest reading secret?

I’m not a fan of any of the Percy Jackson books.

 

I tag whoever wants to do this tag, it’s fun and a way to get to know bookish things about others.

April16 reading wrap-up

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monthly-wrap-up

This month was a slow reading month, I only read two books and I’m not the happiest about it.  Below you will find the two books I read along with reviews.

Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas- I gave this five stars on Goodreads. This book was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe some of the things that I read in this book. There were things I learned that I found interesting, the most interesting was reading about all the scientific research that Dr. Omalu did in discovering CTE. One of the most important things that I found in the book, is how the NFL hired a team of doctors to form a committee. The committee would become the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee (MTBI). These doctors, hired by the NFL, had never seen or performed an autopsy of the brain, something Dr. Omalu specialized in. When Dr. Omalu discovered CTE in the brain of Mike Webster, he had the scientific research and evidence to back up his discovery. He wrote a scientific paper, had it published in a 2005 issue of Neurosurgery, the MTBI committee wanted the the paper retracted. This is no different than the NFL wanting a recent a recent story published by The New York Times retracted, the Times article found many flaws in the NFL’s concussion research. Here’s the thing, science and cold hard evidence never lie, yet it appears that the NFL refuses to listen to science. They didn’t want to listen to or believe Dr. Omalu. As a fan, I have lost trust in the NFL, especially when it comes to the safety of the players. Another important thing that I learned, is the NFL is nothing but a money hungry machine. I also wouldn’t be surprised if there were more lawsuits against the NFL. Until the NFL stops ignoring evidence and science, and starts listening, I will not believe anything the NFL says. This book and Dr. Omalu’s research are important pieces in understanding the science of concussions.

Skies Over Tomorrow: Constellation by Kelly B. Johnson

I received an eBook copy from the author for review.

I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. I normally don’t read books like this, however I was quite intrigued by the synopsis. There was a lot of military and space language that I didn’t understand at all, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the stories. I also felt that one of the stories, “Lords and Ladies” didn’t fit in with the rest of the stories. It was more like Romeo and Juliet. My favorite thing about the anthology, is the presence of strong female characters, and the writing style of the author. The author, Kelly B. Johnson wrote in a very descriptive way that showed rather than told. Show rather than tell is something that I always look for in books. I would definitely read more from this author. I was taken on an adventure.

Zodiac

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The Zodiac series has to be my new favorite book series. The books are written by Romina Russell. I have read and reviewed the first two, and I am impatiently waiting for the third book which will be published later in the year in December. The thing that I love about the books, is the world that Russell created. The books are set in outer space, and the world that Russell built is a world that I was able to put myself in. Romina Russell is definitely my new favorite author, and I can’t wait to read the third book.

Xenophilius Lovegood

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Xenophilius Lovegood is the eccentric father of the equally eccentric Luna Lovegood. He and Luna were very supportive of Harry when no one else was. It was at the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur DeLacour, where Harry recognized the symbol of The Deathly Hallows. Xenophilius was wearing the symbol as a necklace.  While Xenophilius may be eccentric and out there, he played an important role in Harry’s realization that he did in fact posses two of the Hallows.

#T5W Mothers/Motherly Figures

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top-5-wednesday

Molly Weasley- She has a clock in the living room of her house, the hands on the clock have photos of all nine of her children, plus her husband Arthur. The clock tells her where everyone in the family is. She not only looks after her own family, she looks after Harry as well and in my opinion, is another son to her. My favorite Molly Weasley mother moment had to be in the final battle of Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows pt. 2 movie when she screams at Bellatrix “not my daughter you bitch.” She’s the ultimate fictional mother, plus she proved herself to be a bad ass when she killed Bellatrix.

Lily Potter- She gave her life to save her son, which in my opinion makes her one of the best fictional mothers out there. She truly loved her son, and did everything that she could to protect him.

Minerva McGonagall- People may be wondering why I have her on my list, however I have a very valid reason. Professor McGonagall was always looking after Harry, whether it was directly or indirectly. She didn’t give him any special treatment, yet she was protective of him. I feel that Professor McGongall, because Harry grew up without a mother was another mother figure to him, just like Molly Weasley.

Mrs. March- For those who have read Little Women, you know that Mrs. March is the voice of reason for the girls, she’s the one they always go to for advice about anything. She’s loving, strong and kind. She teaches the girls important life lessons, and tries her absolute hardest to keep things together in the time of the Civil War. It would have been difficult for me to leave her off of my list.

Susan Pevensie- While she isn’t really a mother, she is a mother figure to her younger siblings, especially when it comes to Narnia. Susan is extremely apprehensive about things, and feels that they shouldn’t be in Narnia at all. While Susan is motherly, she seems to forget that she is just a child like her siblings.