On the Same Page | Hold Me Closer, Necromancer | Lish McBride

Dec 21

on the same page Hold Me Closer, Necromancer • Lish McBride

Sooo, for the record, we read HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER by Lish McBride in October. Whoops. But, life. We all really enjoyed the blend of paranormal creatures, macabre subject matter, and dark humor. I’m definitely looking forward to reading NECROMANCING THE STONE (I love these titles and the way Lish McBride incorporated song titles or lyrics into the chapter titles) and anything else Lish McBride writes.

Because I enjoyed HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER so much, it got me thinking about what other books I–or anyone–could read that have some of the same qualities and themes. So without any more ado, here are some readalikes for HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER!

book cover for Croak by Gina Damico

It’s been a little while since I read CROAK by Gina Damico, but I thought of it a lot while reading HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER. It has a very similar vibe: lots of humor, lots of death, a young person with a gift of death. If you liked HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER, this would be the next place I’d go.

book cover for Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

There are parts of HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER that are maybe a little scary-ish. ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD has that angle DOWN; it’s definitely scarier than Necromancer. Also, it’s got another young guy who slays demons and ghosts, very similar Sam. In fact, I think Sam and Cas would get along REALLY WELL.

Book cover The Monstrumologist Rick Yancey

I LOVED this book. It doesn’t have the necromancer angle, but it does have a really awesome historical fiction demon hunter. It’s creepy, kind of gruesome, and the characters are wonderfully vivid. I also love the structuring of this book, as if it’s recounting an old story. Big fan, need to read more.

Book cover Shiver Maggie Stiefvater

I’m going to admit right now that SHIVER is not the most amazing of Maggie Stiefvater’s work. However, there are werewolves in HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER that are kiiiiind of awesome, and these are the only werewolves that I’m really familiar with in my reading. Also, Maggie. So that’s a bonus.

If you guys have read HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER and know of any other books that would be good readalikes, share in the comments! I’d love to read more!

Don’t forget to check out Brittany and Alyssa‘s posts, too!

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On the Same Page | Howl’s Moving Castle | Diana Wynne Jones

Aug 28

on the same pageHowl’s Moving Castle • Diana Wynne Jones

This book has been on my TBR for AGES. The copy I own I actually bought for my young cousin but never gave it to her. Instead of returning it, I kept it for myself and then it languished, unread, for a few years. Fast forward to our annual December powwow to pick our On the Same Page books for this year, and Alyssa was like, “I want to read HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE,” and I was like, “OMG ME TOO.” So glad that we all agreed to give this classic middle grade fantasy a go, because it was incredibly charming and fun, and I laughed so many times.

One of the things I noticed while I was looking at this book on Goodreads was the different covers. There’s so many! And they’re so awesome! And they highlight different aspects of the story, or have different interpretations of the same thing! YAY! So for this month’s On the Same Page feature, I’m going to share some different book cover editions and talk about why I looooove them all (well, most of them).

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On the Same Page | The Wrath and the Dawn | Renee Ahdieh

Apr 29

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The Wrath and the Dawn • Renee Ahdieh

I’m going to let you all in on a secret about On the Same Page: The three of us read the same book each month, but we almost never read the book at the EXACT same time. We talk about it and gush or complain or discuss, but never while we’re all in the act of reading together. Never “OMG I’m on page 54,” “OMG I’m two pages behind you THIS IS AMAZINGGGG.” That is, until THE WRATH AND THE DAWN. I have to say, it was incredibly fun and very lucky that we all wound up having overlapping free time.

Another thing that was awesome about this month’s book? Umm, EVERYTHING. Ahem. I meant to say that the vibrant setting created an incredibly vivid environment for the story of Shazi and Khalid. It felt like I was reading a grown-up Aladdin. Picturing the palaces, the clothes, the food, the desert was all so easy to do. Because reading THE WRATH AND THE DAWN was so visual for me, it was a no-brainer that I put together another Pinterest board. I’m going to try not to overwhelm you guys with pins, but I might fail. There’s just so much to see!

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On the Same Page | Anna and the French Kiss | Stephanie Perkins

Mar 30

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Anna and the French Kiss • Stephanie Perkins

Guys, I was pretty stoked when we chose our March book for this year. When Alyssa said she wanted to read ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, it made me super happy. Not only because she would be reading it for the first time, but because I’d be reading it for the, I think, 6th time, and I LOOOOVE rereading this book. It’s one of my go-to, happy mood, slump breaker books, so I find myself reaching for it often. There’s nothing quite like a perfectly sweet romance to get me out of whatever doldrums I’m in. Plus, ANNA AND ETIENNE. I die.

Since I’ve read this book so many times, and since rereading is something I do ALL THE TIME, I decided I’d talk about my impressions of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS after this reread. The things I notice, the things I always forget, the things that change or not from one read to another. I can give you a spoiler right now, though: One thing that NEVER changes? My love for this book and the way it warms my heart.

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On the Same Page | Midwinterblood | Marcus Sedgwick

Feb 2

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Midwinterblood • Marcus Sedgwick

MIDWINTERBLOOD has been on my radar for a little while, friends, but I always balked just a little when it came to reading it. Not sure why. Maybe it’s because it’s a hard book to describe, maybe because the thought of reading another story–even a shorter one that is merely a part of a larger whole–about vampires increased my “meh” quotient. Maybe it’s because I’d never read a book by Marcus Sedgwick and his writing intimidated me. Whatever it was, I’m glad that I held onto it until it came time for the three of us to choose our books for this year, and we all decided to read MINDWINTERBLOOD first. It really does defy description, but it’s still powerful and touching.

One of the things that fascinated me about the structure of this book is the way Marcus Sedgwick broke each of his stories down by full moon. I’ve always been intrigued by this naming of full moons, and I loved the way the moons corresponded to the tales within, and the way those tales wove the entire story together, so I thought I’d shed a little light on those full moons in MIDWINTERBLOOD while also talking a little bit about the stories within.

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On the Same Page | Snow White and Rose Red

Jan 8

on the same page Snow White and Rose Red • Patricia C. Wrede

I’m always excited to read books that my besties love. It makes me feel like our friendship is really special because we’re sharing things that mean a lot to us. SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED by Patricia C. Wrede is one of those books for my dear Alyssa, who loves this book fiercely. I can see why. A retelling of a classic fairy tale, with a Fey bonus. I really loved this book, which makes me so happy but also makes me think about my own personal experiences with reading about faeries. Since two of the main characters in SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED are half-fey, and other fey creatures play important parts in this story, I thought I’d chat for a few about what it is about faeries that I sometimes love and sometimes find boring beyond all things. Let’s hope that I can actually get to the bottom of it, because frankly, I have no idea.

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On the Same Page | Sunshine | Robin McKinley

Dec 17

on the same pageSunshine • Robin McKinley

So we’re only a month behind with this one, friends. That’s not bad at all, right?! I’m glad that we took our time to read SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley, though. It’s a very different vampire book than any other I’ve read, but in a good way. SUNSHINE is certainly not a book to devour quickly. And hey, since I introduced that eating metaphor, I might as well carry it through my post! No, no, I’m not going to talk about vampires feeding on humans. I’m talking about BAKING. You heard me right.

Sunshine is something of a renowned baker, working at Charlie’s Coffeehouse in New Arcadia. It’s America, but post-Voodoo Wars America, where vampires and weres and demons are on the verge of taking over the Earth. In the midst of all this supernatural drama, Sunshine gets up at 4:30 every morning to make her famous Cinnamon Rolls as Big as Your Head. I want to stuff one in my face RIGHT NOW. She bakes all kinds of things for Charlie’s customers, but there were a few that stuck out in my mind, and are what I would imagine are her “signature” recipes.

In honor of Sunshine’s baked goods that made me salivate while reading, I’m going to share some recipes with you! One of them I’ve used a number of times; in fact, I use it every Christmas. I can vouch for it’s UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLENESS. The other just sounds good and reminds me of a recipe of Sunshine’s. So break out your aprons and your measuring cups, friends! It’s SUNSHINE: THE COOKBOOK. (I wish this actually existed, though. I would buy it immediately.)

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On the Same Page | Burial Rites | Hannah Kent

Sep 17

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Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Guys, it’s so nice to be talking about BURIAL RITES for our most recent On the Same Page feature!!

Hannah Kent’s debut was atmospheric, gorgeously written, thoughtful, and complex. I loved it. What struck me as particularly outstanding, though, was the setting. Iceland just seemed so stark and isolated (umm, probably because it kind of is), and it really set the perfect tone for a story about a serving woman who is sentenced to die for a murder she may or may not have committed.

To that end, I’ve grabbed a few images of some of the places where the actual events from BURIAL RITES took place, or things that are replicas of important locations. Visualizing places when I read is always hugely important to me, and Hannah Kent was able to bring the world of Agnes Magnusdottir to life for me.

**Also, HEADS UP to people who haven’t read BURIAL RITES yet but are planning on it: There’s a possible spoiler picture down here. ALERT ALERT!!**

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On the Same Page | Unspoken | Sarah Rees Brennan

Jul 31

on the same page Unspoken • Sarah Rees Brennan

This is one of those times when there’s a book that’s been out for a while that none of us have read yet, which makes On the Same Page PERFECT! Because now we get to read things together! UNSPOKEN by Sarah Rees Brennan is one of those books, so we were all really looking forward to reading this one. There are some great visuals from this book, so I’ve created another Pinterest board. This one was a little harder for me than my previous Pinterest board, but still lots of fun! I’m going to highlight a few of my pins below and then send you off to my board (which I will continue to update) to see the rest. Huzzah!

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Secret Sister Project!

Jul 18

Secret Sister Project

Friends, I’m incredibly excited to announce this super cool new project that the On the Same Page gals are starting! You might recall a couple of months ago when Alyssa asked around Twitter if anyone would be interested in participating, and YAY, you guys were stoked! So we got down to work and set up the Secret Sister Project for you, and now Alyssa, Brittany, and I are finally ready to make our Secret Sister Project a REAL THING. For those of you who have NO idea what I am talking about, read on!

The What

A secret sister is essentially a cheer club. Think Secret Santa but all year round with less emphasis on big presents, and more thoughtful notes, cards, small somethings sent just to let your secret sister know that you are thinking about her!

The When

Sign-ups run July 18-July 25

You will be paired up with your secret sister by August 1

This will run from August 1 -February 1 (6 months)

The Who

You guys! The only “rule” we have is that before signing up, you must “know” at least one of us. As in, we must have spoken on Twitter or SOMETHING. We are just really concerned with someone not following through, and that would just make a bad time for everyone. Also, we might be limiting the number of sign-ups so it doesn’t get too out of hand, this is just a trial run!

FAQs

What will I have to do if I sign up to be a secret sister?

This is a commitment, we can’t lie to you. By signing up to be a secret sister you are promising to send at least one small card/gift to your secret sister a month. It is very important that you don’t sign up for this unless you are willing to follow through. Please think of how sad (and unfair) it would be for someone to be working hard to make their secret sister feel special and not receiving anything themselves!

Do I have to send presents?

No, you don’t have to send anything big, this really is meant to be more of a cheering up sort of club.However, in the six month period we will be going through Halloween, Christmas, and maybe your secret sister’s birthday! It is encouraged that you send one or two presents during these six months(think a book from their wish list, some Halloween candy, or if you’re feeling really fancy, some flowers for their birthday!) Honestly, this is as fun as you make it!

Do we have to remain secret?

No, though that is part of the fun! Just leave your name off of the card or box you are sending if you want to remain secret, and reveal yourself when you send a Christmas present, perhaps? It is entirely up to you!

Anything else I should know?

For fun, take some pics of your goodies and share them with us using the hashtag #OTSPSecretSister or follow one of us (or all of us at Gals on the Same Page) on Twitter!

So how do I sign up?

Easy! Just fill out the form below!

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