Erm, so this week’s Theme Thursday comes a bit late because someone scheduled it wrong… π (or WordPress messed up, which doesn’t really surprise me)
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the themes for the previous weeks and managed to find some books of your liking! I have yet to go through the recs I got but give me time π
If you don’t know what Theme Thursday is about, please check out my post here.
π Bloggers Shoutout π
Theme Thursday is a new biweekly feature created by Sophie @ Blame Chocolate where bloggers can share recs and newly found books featuring that week’s theme.
- There will be a different theme (genre, trope, etc) every other Thursday. You can check the theme calendar here.
- Those participating have to list titles that feature that theme in some way (doesn’t have to be the main theme of the book).
- You can use the three main categories: Books I’ve Read/I’m Reading, Books I Want to Read, and Other Books That Fit The Theme but this isn’t mandatory.
- Please use this boxed text in your post, which doubles as a pingback.
- Additional info is available on the Theme Thursday page.
This week’s theme is: Boarding School!
I’ve actually read a lot more books about boarding schools than I’d thought I did… Hmm. There are the obvious ones like Harry Potter, of course, but there were also a few that I didn’t even remember until I scoured my Goodreads list!
I loved the Malory Towers series growing up… It makes me so nostalgic β€
Though if I’m being honest, one book I don’t recommend is Looking for Alaska. I’m just including it because I did read/finish it.
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π« Books I’ve Read/I’m Reading:
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π« Books I Want to Read:
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π« Other Books That Fit The Theme:
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Make sure to pingback so I can check out your recs! If I missed your TT post, feel free to send me an email or comment below with your link and I’ll check it out π
The next theme is: Twins! Check out the calendar here.
π Do you take part in any (bi)weekly features?
π What are some of your favourite themes in books?
π Have you read any of these?
Let me know in the comments below! π
Blame Chocolate 
This is such a superb post π I absolutely loved Malory Towers . I remember my childhood reading these books π Reminiscing my old days!!
Harry Potter, no doubt is absolute love π
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Thanks so much, babe! I feel the exact same way – such a great series β€
HP will always a place in my heart!
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This is a great post, and of course you had to include Harry Potter! π In my opinion it wouldnβt be a post featuring books set in boarding schools without at least one Harry Potter book.
I read and really enjoyed A Great and Terrible Beauty when I was in high school. It was actually one of my favourite trilogies (alongside City of Bones which I was reading for the first time at the same time). Iβd love to re-read it one day but Iβm not sure Iβd enjoy the books as much the second time around. Still I hope you enjoy them, and all the books on this list you still have to read. π β€οΈ
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Aw thanks, Beth! Hahaha so true, HP will never not be on my lists – I’ll always find a reason to include it π
I was actually surprised to find so many people love this series! I’d never heard of it before and feel like I’ve been living under a rock xD
Yeah I get your dilemma…. I wonder if I’ll enjoy it at this age, to be honest xD Though I do enjoy a lot of books written for a younger audience, so we’ll see π
Thank you so much, love! β€
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Oh my god A Great And Terrible Beauty is AMAZING. The whole series is completely fantastic. I am a MASSIVE Libba Bray fan girl and I feel like she goes not get enough love in the blogosphere. Her stories are all so absorbing and political and romantic. The series goes to some really dark places I won’t lie, but it’s one of the those worlds you just completely fall into. Ooh. I want to reread now. I might do it – it’s been a few years!
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I honestly had never heard anyone talk about it and now I see all these hype comments and I’m like “WHERE HAVE I BEEN??”
Aaahh it makes me so happy to hear you say it, Lydia, because you have impeccable taste – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it AGAIN – so I’m really excited to try this series now π
I don’t mind a bit of darkness (in fact, that only makes me want to read it more) so you’re all good!
Hahaha we should buddy read it sometime – I NEVER buddy read but hey, first time for everything xD
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Thank you so much for the shoutout, it means a lot to me! π Of course Harry Potter is my favorite boarding school book, who hasn’t dreamed of living at Hogwarts? π
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Of course! β€ It's something that's been lacking in my blog so I'm always happy to do it π
And I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter!!
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I haven’t read any of these books but they all sound interesting! Some of my favorites are Hex hall series by Rachel Hawkins, House Of Night series by P.C. Cast, and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.
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Ooooh thanks for the recs, Raven! I remember them all from back in the day but for some reason totally forgot to add them to the list xD But it’s fine, because I really want to save space for people to suggest different titles as well – not gonna hog the meme!
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Haha I love how you don’t recommend Looking For Alaska! John Green is one of those authors I have an iffy feeling about, so I’ll be sure to stay away. π
By the way, it’s been a while, but I really enjoyed A Great and Terrible Beauty when I was younger. There’s some creepier Narnia plot that ensues, an enemies to friends trope (between girls), and I overall quite enjoyed it. Can’t say if it’ll live up, but I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on it!
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Ugh, I read THREE books by JG and honestly, besides not liking any of them, they just felt like the same darn book. Same characters, different names and settings. I don’t know if you’ve felt the same way, but I know a lot of people do… JG might be fine as a person, I can’t say as I don’t know much about him (I do follow his brother Hank’s work a lot more) but as an author he’s just so…. Boring.
Ooooh I love the sound of that!! All tropes I love π I had no expectations for it, and to be honest I’d never heard of it before xD I don’t even know how it got into my TBR, but probably through some kind of research or someone recommending it to me a few years back. After this post, though, a lot of people have been saying how much they love it, so I’m really glad I got to choose to add it to my TBR β€ I'm much more excited to read it now, for sure!
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I have Ink and Bone on my list, and I hope to read that book, sooner or later (keeping up with the list is just an impossible task!). Are you liking it? (or have you liked it?)
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Hahaha I know your pain!
I don’t remember much from it if I’m being honest… I did read the first three books and enjoyed them for the most part, I’m certain, but the fourth and fifth weren’t out back then so I kind of forgot about the series… I’m not sure I’ll continue it just because I’m too lazy to go and read everything again xD I might read the recaps, though, and then try them.
They’re basically Harry Potter, but all about books and libraries and secret societies. Books are seen as more important than human life itself, which leads to a lot of controversy (yum!), revolts, etc. Very very interesting, and I’m sure you’ll love it π
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Oh my, now I am even more curious! I had this book on my TBR but I have added it some years ago so I couldn’t remember what this was all about but now… It seems so good!
Thanks! β€οΈ
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I saw your post. I remember you commented on supergirlxβs post a while back, and I couldnβt believe I didnβt notice your blog before! I loved the Harry Potter series and Malory Towers.
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Oh thank you! That’s so nice of you to say π HP and Malory Towers ruled my childhood, absolutely β€
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I wasn’t sure I was interested in this topic until I read your post Sophie! I guess I didn’t realize what was meant by boarding schools. I’ve read Harry Potter and Ink and Bone which I wouldn’t have picked for this but I guess totally fits!! i found A School for Unusual Girls such a neat book too. I had to add it to me TBR so thanks!! β€οΈ
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So glad to hear it, Dani! Yeah maybe it wasn’t all that obvious now that I think about it hahaha
Just basically any book where the characters live/stay at a private school… In most of my suggestions the action takes place in the boarding school and sometimes the boarding school can be an important plot point too.
I’m so excited to try A School for Unusual Girls, it sounds so deliciously intriguing β€ I hope you enjoy the rest of the books too!
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Interestingly the only one of these that I’ve read is Harry Potter β but I’ve been considering giving Ink and Bone a try. I didn’t even realise it was set in a boarding school!
I’m trying to think of other boarding school books I’ve read… probably Red Sister is the most obvious that comes to mind, as well as Sabriel, since that starts in a boarding school (but quickly leaves it in the first chapters). I’m sure there are others I’m just not thinking of. There are certainly some where the characters go to training institutions or academies, e.g. Ender’s Game, but they’re not really traditional boarding schools.
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Ink and Bone has several similarities to HP, actually. From the boarding school aspect to the friendship/group dynamics, to the characters themselves, the setting and, of course, the magic-like system. I would say it’s more alchemy/steampunk/science oriented, although it does lean towards occultism sometimes.
Red Sister and The Left Hand of God have similar concepts, I feel. I’ve read the later and enjoyed it (it’s such a weird series though xD) but I didn’t want to include *those* types of boarding schools, if you know what I mean!
I’ve heard great things about Sabriel as well, but again didn’t feel like it truly fit in the theme I had invisioned (personally, though you totally can add whatever feels right for you).
I haven’t read Ender’s Game either but I can see where you’re coming from. Definitely wouldn’t have considered them for this theme, but it’s obviously open to interpretation π
Thanks so much for the suggestions, Nicola!
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I’m still waiting for my letter from Hogwarts!
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It really is the bane of our existence, it seems!
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Gosh, I love boarding school books! I’ve been trash for them ever since Harry Potter and the Gallager Girl series. I also really love this feature of yours! πTheme Thursday is such a cute name too (I’m a sucker for good alliteration). I can’t wait to see the next installation! πππ
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Me too! Oh I never read the Gallagher Girls series but sounds like such a delicious guilty pleasure *_* I was always hoping to read Carter’s Heist series but now I have TWO to consider so I’m doubly happy hahaha
Thank you so much, Kat! I was a bit hesitant about it because you CAN have too much alliteration but in the end I felt it was nice and if I ever get too lispy, I just refer to it as TT for short Β―\_(γ)_/Β―
The Time Travel post will be up sometime this month β€ Hope you enjoy it too and feel free to take part if you'd like! ^^
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Boarding school books are up there as one of my favourite themes. There are some on your list that are new to me and I am excited to give A Great and Terrible Beauty a try as well. Awesome meme, Sophie! π
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Same here! I can never get tired of them π
A Great and Terrible Beauty has been recommended to me by several people already so it should be good!
Thanks so much, hon β€
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Ahhh I love your list here, I love boarding school settings SO much! I need to read Ink and Bone as soon as I can, it sounds so good π
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You must! I think it’s the perfect book for any bookworm π β€
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Ah I hear you about looking for Alaska- I wasnβt into that one either. HP is perfect for this though!
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Yes, the perfect book for most challenges too hahaha
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