#TBRTakedown Jan. 4th (12:00 am) - January 10th (11:59 pm)

I took part in the TBRTakedown 3.0 Challenge. It is hosted by @leaninglights. It is a week long read/tweet-athon  that encourages people to take on their To Be Read shelves. 

TBR Challenges:

• Read a book from your most recent book haul
• Read a book on your TBR shelf over a year (for longest)
• Read a non-novel item: poem, verse, novella, short story, etc.
• Read a book outside your comfort zone! (Genre, content, etc.)
• Read the first book in a series
• Complete series/Read a sequel in a series
• Read a FIRE colored book (Such as shades of red, pink, purple, etc.) Lucky colors for 2016

*MINOR SPOILERS BELOW*

Day 1:

Read a non-novel item: poem, verse, novella, short story, etc.
Read a book on your TBR shelf over a year (for longest)

The Giraffe, the Pelly, and Me by Roald Dahl

 ★★★★★

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is just what the title says. It's about a boy who stops by this old sweet shop and one day it is converted into a strange window washing service. That is where he meets a group of three animals: a giraffe, a pelican, and a monkey.

This book is my favorite Roald Dahl short story that I've read so far. It has musical elements, There are songs that the animals sing that added a fun element. Roald Dahl again succeeded in making a magical, whimsical story. I loved the ending the best. It was very cute and it even referenced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,

Day 2/3:

Read a book from your most recent book haul

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

 ★★★★

Carry On is about Simon Snow who is the "chosen one" but he is not doing such a good job. While he is trying to figure out how he can defeat the Humdrum his life at school is falling apart. He is roommates with is sworn enemy and his girlfriend is distant. Chaos ensues and Simon is trying to figure it all out.

My first thought about this book is that I couldn't stop comparing it to Harry Potter. The premise that there is a chosen one with an evil creature after him and he sets out with his friends to defeat it was all too familiar. Not to mention that they were at a magic school. There were aspects that I didn't expect which was really nice. I loved Baz and Simon's relationship and how that all panned out. Overall I was disappointed with this book. I was expecting so much more from the story. I heard so much hype about how fantastic the story and characters where. I think that was the main issue. I loved the excerpts from Fangirl that we got but reading the novel just let me down. It makes me really sad.   By all means, though, the story wasn't bad. I really enjoyed it, I just wanted more.

Day 4:

Read the first book in a series

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

 ★★★★★

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is about a boy named Jacob and he grew up with his grandfather telling him strange stories about the children from old photographs he had. They weren't normal photos of children, the children in these photographs were peculiar. Suddenly tragedy strikes and Jacob goes to an Island in Whales where he finds out that the children are more than just pictures.

I was very surprised by this novel. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. There were aspects of the story that I didn't know took place in that world and that is time travel. I knew about the pictures being a part of the story, that was obvious, but what I failed to realize was how amazing the world was. It was fascinating, creepy and overall just really enjoyable. My only regret was not picking up this book sooner.

Day 5: 

Complete series/Read a sequel in a series
Read a FIRE colored book (Such as shades of red, pink, purple, etc.) Lucky colors for 2016

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

★★★★
Allegiant is the third book in the Divergent series. After Tris and her friends find out that their world is a lie and that there is more beyond the limits of their society. They decided the best course of action is to set out and see what is out there. Deceit, betrayal, and heartbreak are just a few of things that occur. 

A lot of people really love the first two books and then they didn't like this last book. I am the opposite. I didn't love the first two books but I really enjoyed his book. It's taken me three years to read this series, one book every year. I put off this last book for so long because I was spoiled for the ending. I knew how the series ended and I wasn't really enjoying the series that much so I didn't think I would like the end. I loved the duel perspective. It made me really love Four even more than I did before. He is definitely my favorite character. The ending is crushing. I cried. I wasn't expecting how hard it would hit me knowing how it would pan out. 

Day 6:

Read a book outside your comfort zone! (Genre, content, etc.)

Quiet by Susan Cain

Quiet is a nonfiction novel focusing on introversion and extroversion.

I picked this book up because I love psychology. I think it's fascinating but I didn't finish this book. I didn't even get past thirty pages. I think it was the fact that I was reading a lot the whole week and I was getting into a reading slump so I only read a little the last day.