I mean half of my Christmas list is books so I hope I’ll find at least one under the tree this year! These books are listed in no particular order and I will link each title to their Goodreads page.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
It has now been moved over to That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
It has now been moved over to That Artsy Reader Girl.
I did want to follow the original theme for this week “Books I DNF’d Too Quickly” or at the very least I wanted to talk about books I have DNF’d. However, I just haven’t DNF’d that many books! So I decided to do this one, in which I will talk about books I probably REALLY should have DNF’d instead of suffering through.
These are in no particular order and I will link up my full review if I have one.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This is kind of a broad topic because what age do I want my children to read these? My answer is whenever, they can be younger, teenagers, or adults for all I care but I’d really like if they read these books so I could geek out about them with my own kids! This is why I’m adding books that are more YA into the mix of Middle Grade as well.
These are in no particular order.
10.) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I want everyone to read this book, everyone, which coincidentally would also include my future children! If they’re anything like me they will appreciate the magical atmosphere this book has, it’s truly a beautiful story.
9.) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Not only is this just a fantastic, well written book it also tackles some very important issues and I think EVERYONE could benefit from reading this book.
8.) Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire
This is more of an adult book but it’s so magical and full of diverse characters, I wouldn’t have a younger child read this but a teenager? Sure, would!
7.) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
So I was really torn between which Gaiman book I wanted to add to this list it was between “Coraline” and “The Graveyard Book” but ultimately I went with “The Graveyard Book” just because I enjoyed that one a little bit more! Gaiman’s writing is fantastic for all ages and this is a sort of coming of age story about a boy who is raised by multiple supernatural creatures in a graveyard.
6.) The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi
Once again I feel this can be for all ages but it is aimed at a more Middle Grade audience, it’s a fantastic series of graphic novels that follows a pair of siblings through a magical realm to rescue their mother. It’s adorable and adventurous and definitely something I would want my future children to read!
5.) Inkheart (Inkworld #1) by Cornelia Funke
This trilogy is very, very dear to me and I would be ecstatic if my future children read it, the whole trilogy is amazing and it’s one of those series that gets better and better with each book. Plus what person, especially a kid, doesn’t love the idea of their favorite book characters being transported into our world?
4.) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The writing is older so it could be a bit harder for a child to read it but I will definitely read it to them! “The Hobbit” is a classic and I’m a huge fan of everything Middle Earth so this is kind of mandatory.
3.) The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #1) by C.S. Lewis
By this of course I mean the whole series but since I have only read book one ( I know, shame on me) I won’t push the whole series. This book is one of the classics I think all children should have the opportunity to read it’s right up there with Harry Potter for sure!
2.) Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Another all ages book/series that I think everyone can enjoy! I absolutely loved this series and thought it was so much fun plus you learn a bit about Greek mythology along the way as well. I would be happy with my future children reading any Riordan books though.
1.) Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
HOW CAN I NOT HAVE HARRY POTTER ON THIS LIST? This series is literally my childhood and one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with reading so you’re damn right I hope my kids will want to read it!
What are some books you’d like your children or future children to read?
Do we have any of these books in common?
Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jamie @ The Broke and the Bookish.
In honor of Valentine’s Day this week’s theme is all about those romance tropes and types! Since I’m not the biggest fan of all YA romances I thought I would share with you guys my favorite slow burn romances in YA along with my most hated insta-love romances as well!
****There will be spoilers for romances in this list, however, many of them are already implied in their book’s descriptions. You have been forewarned though!****
I will link up my reviews for each of these books to the titles, if you’re interested in reading more of why I loved or hated the book! (Although I would say just skip over Shadow & Bone because it was one of my first reviews, so yikes!)
Also I’d love to hear your thoughts on these as well but please remember to be polite with others’ opinions, if you liked a romance I or another did not that’s fine! If you hated one that I or another person loved, that’s fine too! We all have different tastes! So let’s all get along and enjoy chatting books!
Least Favorite Insta-Love Romances
5.) Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Alina + The Darkling
Okay so not only do we have a love triangle in this book but we also have an awful case of insta-love because Alina is instantly attracted to The Darkling even though she “loves” Mal. Sorry honey but if that was the case you wouldn’t have fucked all the shit up in this book.
4.) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena + Chaol + Dorian
Once again we have an insta-love triangle! Booooooo! Celaena is instantly head over heels for BOTH of these guys and is constantly thinking about them throughout the duration of the book….instead of ya know….KILLING PEOPLE!
3.) Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Anne + Edward
Yep Anne falls instantly in love with Edward even though he is a huge asshole to here right away. That doesn’t even make sense! And don’t even get me going on this book…it was all around awful.
2.) The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye
Vika + Nikolai + Pasha
Insta-Love? Check. Another love triangle? Check. This is probably one of the worst cases of insta-love I’ve seen because the minute both boys see Vika they are smitten to the point where they can’t stop thinking about her and they didn’t even TALK to her!
1.) Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
Violet + River
River shows up to rent Violet’s guest house and BOOM destined to be together, forever. Hell, she goes as far as sleeping with him on the couch the same day she meets him! (and I do mean sleeping, not “sleeping”)
Favorite Slow-Burn Romances
5.) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Jane + Gifford (“G”)
These two are forced together by an arranged marriage but are not instantly attracted to reach other, Jane actually strongly dislikes Gifford at first based off of things she’s heard about him. However, after going through the adventures in this book they become closer and realize their true feelings. I really do love a slow burn romance, I find it far more rewarding!
4.) The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
Zahra + Aladdin
The title really says it all here, Jinn and humans are forbidden to fall in love because of the resulting “forbidden wish” so we get a very slow burn romance since Zahra knows the consequences of loving Aladdin even as she slowly falls for him.
3.) The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Kestrel + Aren
Another case of “forbidden love” (maybe that’s my favorite trope…) where the caste system keeps them apart although Kestrel does not have feelings of love for Aren early on she slowly develops them as the major events of the plot unfold.
2.) The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
Nemesis + Tyrus
This romance was a HUGE surprise to me since I wasn’t expecting romance at all and I (also surprisingly) loved it! These two are stabby and clever and meant to be together! (that rhymes!) The reason this is a slow-burn romance is because there’s an actual plot and they use each other at first to further their own agendas.
1.) And I Darken by Kiersten White
Lada + Mehmed
While there is a love triangle in this book it’s very nontraditional and unique which is why it does not annoy me in the least bit, thought I’d mention that first! Lada is cruel, violent, clever, and far from beautiful so romance is the last thing on her mind but she ends up falling for Mehmed and vice versa. I shipped these to SO MUCH!
Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices?
What are some of your most hated or loved romance tropes?
How about your favorite book romance or couple?
Let me know in the comments and feel free to link up your TTT as well!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week’s theme is books that we read because they were either recommended to us or because we saw a review (etc) by another blogger and it caught our interest! I would say that easily half of the books on my TBR are on there because of reviews I’ve read by other bloggers so this is a pretty easy list!
Also just one big thank you to all of these wonderful bloggers who recommended me these books or just wrote some fantastically convincing reviews! I will link up each blogger so you can check them out as well!
10.) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Recommended By: Everyone
Are there any of you out there who haven’t read this yet? I feel like there’s very few of us who haven’t read this entire series and it is easily one of the most popular YA series out there. I feel like it’s on everyone’s lists and everyone recommends it! So I finally gave in and gave it a whirl and wasn’t too impressed, please don’t kill me. I am looking to try the second book though and see if it will grab my attention a little more.
You can read my full review of “Throne of Glass” here.
9.) Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Recommended By: Karen via Goodreads
This is another pretty popular book that I saw many good reviews for and the main one being by Karen on Goodreads, her review definitely convinced me to give this book a go. Plus I love horror books so I didn’t need much convincing.
You can read my full review of “Anna Dressed in Blood” here.
8.) Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
Recommended By: Faye @ The Social Potato
Like I said it doesn’t take much to convince me to read a horror book but it definitely helps when it gets a great, well-thought out review. I hadn’t really heard about this book until I say Faye’s book too so I love coming across reviews that introduce me to a completely new book!
7.) The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
Recommended By: Vane @ Books With Chemistry
This is an instance where I wanted to read a book based 100% on a review. Vane wrote such a convincing,well thought out, and lengthy review that I wanted to get my hands on this book straight away and it lived up to expectations too!
You can read my full review of “The Monstrumologist” here.
6.) Slasher Girls & Monster Boys stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Recommended By: Emily Mae @ The Book Geek
Usually I don’t go for anthology books at al but Emily Mae’s excellent, thorough review really got me curious and I’m glad I picked this book up because it was excellent and VERY creepy! Basically every single story was excellent which is pretty rare with so many stories grouped together.
You can read my full review of “Slasher Girls & Monster Boys” here.
5.) The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight
Recommended By: Michelle @ Book Adventures
I had heard about this book before but read Michelle’s review and it definitely caught my interest. I love a good YA mystery/thriller but sadly this one wasn’t my cup of tea. (I would link Michelle’s review but I couldn’t find it on her website).
4.) Through The Woods by Emily Carroll
Recommended By: Ashley Lynn @ Dreaming Through Literature
When I was looking for more graphic novels to read I was creeping through all of Ashley’s graphic novel reviews and found this little gem. It’s a series of very creepy stories and is an excellent and quick graphic novel!
You can read my full review of “Through The Woods” here.
3.) Welcome To The Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Recommended By: Lauren @ Wonderless Reviews
Lauren recommended this to me because of our mutual interest over horror books and I said I was looking for more to add to my TBR and this was one of them! Luckily I recommended it to my library and they got it and thus I got a chance to read it and I must say it is an excellent read for any horror movie fan as it plays out like a classic slasher film!
2.) Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Recommended By: Ariana @ The Quirky Book Nerd
This was 1 of 2 books recommended to me by my blogging buddy Ariana and I absolutely LOVED this one, it was hilarious and an overall amazing book! Why didn’t I read this sooner?
You can read my full review of “Hyperbole and a Half” here.
1.) Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Recommended By: Ariana @ The Quirky Book Nerd
The 2nd of the 2 books Ariana recommended to me that I have read so far! “Nimona” is such a wonderful book and the BEST of the graphic novels I have read.
You can read my full review of “Nimona” here.
What books have you had recommended to you?
Did you enjoy them or not so much?
Do you have any books you’d like to recommend to me?
Feel free to link up your Top Ten Tuesday as well!
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes and created by Lainey @ Ginger Reads Lainey. You can check out the group’s Goodreads page for this month’s topics!
This week’s theme is books that took us the longest to read! I don’t know about you guys but I always feel like I read a lot slower than I actually do so here I was thinking this would be easy but apparently that was not the case. I thought I took WEEKS or even a month to finish certain books when in reality it may have been a week or a week and a half but at the time it felt like forever. So I don’t read as horrendously slow as I thought I did and that’s a relief.
I also wanted to pick some books that have been sitting on my shelves forever that I finally read and ran into a problem with that….which is I haven’t read many of the books that have been sitting there forever. Whoops.
So here are some of the most recent reads that took me longer than usual to push through! Enjoy!
5.) These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
This only took me a few days to actually read but it FELT like forever, honestly if you asked me how long it took me to finish this book I’d have to say a few weeks when in reality it didn’t. Usually I’m not one to complain about page number but when you’re bored out of your mind then 488 pages feels like a lot.
In the end the pacing was slow and the book was too long for me, but that’s just my opinion!
You can read my full review of “These Shallow Graves” here.
4.) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Reading “Throne of Glass” was not only a slow process for me but also a bit painful, I don’t understand the hype with this book and series. BUT before anyone lynches me I’m willing to give the sequel a try to see if it gets better!
The first time I tried reading this book I got 20% in and set it down to read something else because it just wasn’t that interesting to me. So the second time I picked it back up it took me 3 weeks to finish which is a long time for me personally.
You can read my full review of “Throne of Glass” here.
3.) Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Firstly I’d like to say I LOVED this book, OK? So why exactly did it take me a little over a month to finish this bad boy you may ask? Well it’s a damn hard book to zip through in my opinion because: 1.) It’s long 2.) The pacing is a little slow to start off 3.) There’s A LOT of information to grasp. It’s definitely worth it to push through the beginning though, trust me it’s such an amazing book…it just might take you a while….
You can read my full review of “Nevernight” here.
2.) A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin
Do I need to even explain why this took me so long? It’s 1,125 pages and I mean come on it’s a fantasy book so there’s A LOT of stuff going on to keep track of. I picked this baby up a handful of times and kept setting it back down until I finally managed to push through it and now I have epic bragging rights!
1.) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Once I actually started this lovely book I could not put it down and finished it in a jiffy. So why is it #1 on this list? Because it sat unread on my Nook for about 3-4 years. YEARS. I just never got around to it and once I joined the book blogging community I saw how much love it got as well as how much everyone loved Laini Taylor period. This is a book I should have read sooner and it’s worth all the hype for sure!
You can read my full review of “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” here.
Have you read any of the books on this list?
What books did it take you forever to read?
How long did it take you to finish them?
Let me know in the comments and feel free to link up your T5W as well!
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes and created by Lainey @ Ginger Reads Lainey. You can check out the group’s Goodreads page for this month’s topics!
This week’s theme is gateway books into our favorite genre! These are books that I feel are great to introduce readers into the world of YA Fantasy, which are just my own personal picks! YA Fantasy is hands down my favorite genre after all though I read many, many others as well. Hopefully some of these might interest you and get you into this genre too!
5.) The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
While world building is definitely an essential part of every fantasy book and in “The Winner’s Curse” it is considerably light on that matter, I still consider it a great gateway book into Young Adult Fantasy.
It has a fantastic heroine, Kestrel, who isn’t a damsel or a warrior, she is in fact, a master strategist which is a breath of fresh air in a world where most YA heroines usually are either damsels or very gifted warriors. The politics that are so much fun in fantasy books make an appearance here as well with Kestrel using secrets ad information to gain the upper hand.
It’s such a fun book and definitely a recommendation from me!
Read my full review of “The Winner’s Curse” here.
4.) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
While I had problems with Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy I had none with the first book in her new series The Dregs. What I found lacking in “Shadow and Bone” I found plenty of with “Six of Crows”, there was fantastic and unique world building and a top notch cast of characters. I could go on and on with this rant but just trust that you won’t be disappointed with this one and once you’re done you’ll be looking for more just like it which is why I consider this to be an excellent gateway book into YA Fantasy!
Read my full review of “Six of Crows” here.
3.) Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
This is a book that I can only describe as a YA version of the A Song of Ice and Fire series complete with betrayals, revenge, and other really fucked up happenings that will make you want to throw your book down. It’s awesome. So if you want to get into fantasy books but just can’t gather the courage to read the whopper of a book that is “A Game of Thrones” then maybe go ahead and give “Half a King” a try because not only is it as good but it also has less pages……
Read my full review of “Half a King” here (and forgive me it was one of my very first reviews).
2.) Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
While some people may not consider this an actual YA book, I do. It has a young adult protagonist and there aren’t any elements that I would see as strictly “adult” or things that might fly over a young adult’s head. It has everything any fantasy book needs: great world building and mythology, great characters, and a great story these are also things every book needs period. “Stormdancer” is one of my favorite books of all time for sure!
See my full review of “Stormdancer” here.
1.) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
This, I think, is a very popular series and for good reason it’s simply amazing. For those of you who like a little more swoony romance in your fantasy books it’s absolutely perfect and if you’re like me and don’t really want that….it’s still perfect. Fantastic world building and such a unique premise this book is worth all the hype and is one of the best books to introduce you into the world of YA Fantasy!
See my full review for “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” here.
That wraps up this week’s Top 5 Wednesday I hope you all enjoyed it!
Are any of these books on your list this week?
Have you read any of these?
What books do you think are gateway books into YA Fantasy or other genres?
Feel free to link up your T5W as well!
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes and created by Lainey @ Ginger Reads Lainey. You can check out the group’s Goodreads page for this month’s topics!
This week’s theme is favorite first sentences! It was actually a little harder for me to pick these since it has to be the first sentence and not ANY sentence. I found that don’t like too many of the first sentences in books, they really have to grab my attention for them to stand out.
5.) “So here’s the file that almost killed me, Director”
– Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
I don’t really know why this is a favorite of mine but I think it’s humorous as well as really attention grabbing! WHY did this file almost kill you? Tell me! Must read more! I’m a sucker for these sentences that hook you right away.
4.) ” Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.”
-Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Like I said, I love attention grabbing first sentences!
3.) “Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well”
-Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I know this one is kind of cheating since it’s technically two sentences and also is in the, sort of, preface and not chapter 1 but hey I really like it and it kind of works!
2.) “The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say.”
-The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
One of my favorite books and who doesn’t love a sentence that includes talking dogs?
1.) “People often shit themselves when they die”
-Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Hands down the BEST first sentence in a book ever! I mean it really grabs you because it’s just so….bold. I love it!
What are some of your favorite first sentences?
Are any of these your favorites too?
Feel free to link your T5W as well!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.
This week’s theme is pretty self explanatory, what books would I buy with an unlimited amount of free money? Well normally I could go insane but I think at this point it may be tricky since I recently bought a ton of books that I really wanted…..so I’ll have to do some thinking for this one!
10.) The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker
Okay so I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book but I’m still really interested in it because of the blurb. So if I’m being GIVEN money then I’d definitely go buy this just to check it out and see if it’s actually any good or not.
9.) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Just because the library’s copy is almost always checked out and I want my own copy. That is all.
8.) I Hate Fairyland Vol. 1 by Skottie Young & Jean-Francois Beaulieu
This was recommended to me by Ashley at Dreaming Through Literature and I trust her graphic novel recs! My library doesn’t have any copies so I’ll just get my own.
7.) Demon Road by Derek Landy
Recommended to me by Michelle at Book Adventures and it apparently doesn’t have a format for Kindle that I can buy on Amazon sooooo I’ll use my free money to buy a copy!
6.) The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry
Nothing but great reviews and therefore….I want to own it, even though I’m not a big fan of covers with only people on it.
5.) These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman
I read and loved Kaufman’s (along with Kristoff) “Illuminae” and I have read and loved two of Kristoff’s books as well so it’s only right I read “These Broken Stars”! Plus the cover is very pretty!
4.) The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude
First of all it’s supposedly dark and creepy and second of all I am obsessed with how gorgeous the cover is, I’d love to add this one to my shelves!
3.) Never, Never (Part One) by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
I really want to check out Colleen Hoover since everyone seems to really love her books and this one seems to not only be a general favorite but seems like something I might like.
2.) Titans by Victoria Scott
Well it’s certainly no secret that I am a really big horse-lover so I’ll give any horse-based YA book a try especially one that has mechanical horses!
1.) Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
It’s also no secret how much I love Peter Pan and I will get my hands on every retelling possible. This one is supposed to be VERY good and I absolutely can’t wait to get my own copy!
Have you read any of these books?
What did you think of them?
Are any of these books on your TBR as well?
What books would you buy with a fully loaded gift card?
Let me know in the comments and feel free to link up your Top Ten Tuesday as well!
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes and created by Lainey @ Ginger Reads Lainey. You can check out the group’s Goodreads page for this month’s topics!
This week’s topic is unlikable characters but they can’t be villains! So basically any main characters or secondary characters you found annoying or just ya know…unlikable.
Please note that these are my own opinions and I don’t mean to offend anyone who does like the characters I mention!
5.) Celaena Sardothien (Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas)
While Celaena isn’t the most unlikable character I’ve come across she still can contend in my top 5. My biggest problem with this character is that she is made out to be the kingdom’s most badass assassin and it just does not show at all, she spends far more time concerned about her cleanliness, clothes, and boys. Where was the badass-ness I was promised? I just found her to be really…annoying.
I feel scared because this is such a popular series but…
I’m basing this only off of book one since I have not read the entire series, let me know if she gets better later in the series!
You can read my full review here.
4.) Zoe Redbird (House of Night Series by P.C. & Kristin Cast)
How did I manage to read so many of these books? They were pretty bad in my opinion and all of the characters were pretty intolerable. Zoe Redbird is the main character and pretty much all she cares about is…you guessed it, boys. Basically you have a bunch of sex-crazed, annoying teenagers and Zoe is at their front.
3.) Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo)
Alina is probably the most special of snowflakes and it was annoying as hell. Not to mention the fact that she spends pretty much all of her time hating how attractive all of the other Grisha are compared to herself, because she’s “so plain and boring”. Almost every decision she made felt idiotic and it irritated me. All of that, for me, made for a very unlikable character.
You can read a mini review here.
2.) Jace Wayland (City of Bones by Cassandra Clare)
This was actually pretty much a toss up between him and Clary, I find them both equally annoying but Jace won out. I found him to be too narcissistic and he was more or less a douchebag. Sorry but this guy was way too annoying for me!
You can read a slightly rage-y review here.
1.) Bella Swan (The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer)
I don’t feel like I really have to explain this one, do I? It’s Bella Swan guys.
Have you read any of these books?
What did you think of these characters?
What characters do you find the most unlikable?
Let me know in the comments and feel free to leave a link to your T5W as well!
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