Top Ten Tuesday - Last 10 books I abandoned

Last 10 books I abandoned

Ooosh! Well to start us off I want to say that i'm thrilled this was worded 'abandoned' rather than DNF (Did Not Finish). I literally CANNOT DNF A BOOK. For someone as glum as me, I hold out far too much hope that a book can get better and redeem itself if I just keep reading. I mean, it doesn't happen often but it could. However...abandonment? Yeah, guilty. The following 10 books have been abandoned over and over again for reasons explained.... I'd just like you to know that this by NO MEANS should be a judgement of the books, i'm just a restless reader.

1. Hex Life/ Buy here - https://amzn.to/2TIczTQ
Let's be honest shall we. Rachel Caine is the motherfudging QUEEN imho. I love the very bones of her. That is the #1 reason I bought this book (actually pre-ordered). It came out whilst I was on my honeymoon and no newlywed should be so happy to return home as I was. I immediately read the Morganville short story and uhm..that's kind of it? TECHNICALLY the book served its purpose so I can settle easy but since I can't DNF a book, i'm calling it abandoned. I feel super guilty now though so maybe i'll get around to it....

2. House of Hades by Rick Riordan / Buy here - https://amzn.to/2IHdIEJ
I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I truly love the Percy Jackson (& co) series so I don't have an answer as to why House of Hades is still next to my bed half read. That's all I can say because I love it so much I have designed a Percy Jackson tattoo for the future & wear my Camp Half Blood t-shirt with pride. What am I doing?

3. Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down / Buy here - https://amzn.to/2THF8R8
This one was a Christmas present from the Husband a couple of years ago now. I mostly wanted it because the design is cool AF and I wanted to stroke it a lot. I've read quite a lot of it tbh but it's not a novel so it's one of those that I just pick up and read a few pages of when I remember it's there. I know i'll finish it one day but I don't feel like i'm missing much by having it sit there. It's supposed to look dusty!

4. Part of your World by Liz Braswell / Buy Here - https://amzn.to/2TId68i
My husband has bought me all of these books so far and i'm massively ashamed to say I haven't actually read any of them. I'm going to make a post on these soon (so I can talk about Disney) so I'll talk about them more then. Again, i'm actually enjoying what i've read so far, i'm just nervous. Messing with Disney is A Big Deal.

5. Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl / Buy here - https://amzn.to/3cYrdht
Wow okay. So this one has been the most abandoned if we're talking length of time. The bookmark in this book is the invitation to my sister in law's 21st birthday. Which was 6 years ago. It was also the first time I met Husband's family and now we're married... So yeah that happened. The weird thing is I remember everything! If I was to pick it up today then i'd know right where I left off. I loved the Beautiful Creatures series (of which this came from) so I was excited for this. However 6 years ago is when I got my current job after graduation and life got CRAZY. I'll come back for it for sure. I have the sequels waiting also.

6. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin / Buy here - https://amzn.to/33bFG53
This is a weird one. My husband told me to get this because i'd love it and though we have big differences in book tastes, he knows me well enough to know what i'd enjoy. I started it and had some difficulty getting over the writing style (very much for a younger audience) but it was going okay. Then I had a OMGWTF moment and realised this was the book that the Studio Ghibli film was based on. I was immediately put off reading it! That usually never happens and I get more excited to read it but I guess I don't want to spoil the movie? I'm a big fan of Studio Ghibli (Tattoo #3!). I need to man up and finish it. With the writing style it would only take a couple of hours and 2 cups of tea max!

7. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeves / Buy here - https://amzn.to/2vRtNVO
I started reading this right before it became a film. I had no idea it was going to be a film and so when it got spoilered everywhere I lost my mojo with it. Again, it's been a while now and i've forgotten everything I heard so I could definitely pick this one up again soon.

8. Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden) by Charlaine Harris / Buy here - https://amzn.to/3cYsYez
Charlaine Harris and I have a love/hate relationship. Her stories are so wildly ridiculous that I legit hate myself for loving them. I've read all of Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connolly so I got the Aurora Teagarden series for Kindle. It's pretty good (basic, but I like that sometimes) and don't have a reason that I haven't gone back to finish it other than I discovered the Library around about the same time I started it. CHOICES, AMIRITE?

9. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black / Buy here - https://amzn.to/3b0Y4jV
Hm. Tough one. I got this one from the library and THEN I got it on audiobook on Borrow Box. I just ...can't be bothered with it? I've renewed it 3 times now (both physical & digital). If I could DNF a book I would probably do that with this one. It's not even a bad book. If I hadn't read A Court of Thorns and Roses directly before it I would probably have loved it. Too much fae for me maybe? Think I need to bite the bullet, send the books back and try again in a few months.

10. American Gods by Neil Gaiman / Buy here - https://amzn.to/33b15v4
Neil Gaiman is one of those people that I love but haven't really read anything of his? I've read 3 of his books and they were all great. I think to get into this one I need to set aside a good few hours (maybe 3 brews long) and let the story properly kick in before I put it down.


WOW sorry. I didn't expect that to be so long. Maybe i'm getting into the swing of things again, who knows? Let me know if you've read any of these and which ones I need to just finish already?!

***NOTE*** 
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Top Ten Tuesday - Things i'd have at my Bookish Party

That Artsy Reader Girl

Things i'd have at my Bookish Party.

1. Harry Potter snacks! I hosted a Harry Potter themed New Year party for my family and friends and made lots of cute themed snacks for it. They went down really well and were super fun to make. We had Golden Snitches, Broomsticks, House Points, (Huffle)puffs and Niffler treasure just to name a few!

2. The board game 'Ex Libris'. My husband and I LOVE playing board games together and dragging our friends along with us. We've had it for a while now and basically you have to build a library but sticking to close rules. There's even a library check sheet to complete at the end - we love it! It's currently on there for a good price too. 

Affiliate link - https://amzn.to/2TJVBo5

3. Paper flowers as decorations. My incredibly talented mum made paper flowers for my wedding (they lined the aisle as we got married outside!). She used Pride & Prejudice, Harry Potter and Princess of Mars which are our fave books and then a shared love of Potter. They looked AMAZING and so many people took them home afterwards.

4. Cushions everywhere! I don't know about you, but if you're a bookish person it's pretty inevitable that at some point you just want to whip out a book and get on with your life's business. Cozy cushioned corners should definitely be a thing.

5. Okay. So. I'm 100% gonna need blankets. ALL of the blankets. Bit chilly? Blanket. Want a snuggle? Blanket. Want a nap? Blanket. Build a fort? Blanket. Just...give me the blankets.

6. Tea/Coffee/Hot Chocolate stations! I'm a huge introvert and don't exactly party often but one thing that will get me out of the house is when a friend says 'let's go for coffee!' You've got your cushions, you've got your blanket - you're gonna need your steaming mug of deliciousness to go with it!

7. I'd definitely want to have my book table in use at a Bookish Party. This little gem was a gift from my parents last year for our garden. It's a little bit sad because we've barely used it. Last summer was full steam ahead wedding planning so there wasn't a lot of time to sit and relax in the sun but this year...!! Can't wait to get it out of the shed this summer. (This photo isn't mine but it's the exact one that we have). The top book lifts open like a book. I use it to store sunglasses, my phone and uh, an extra book...

8. I reckon i'd also need a variety of phone chargers. Seems a bit weird but let's face it - if you're at a Bookish Party you're going to NEED to get some amazing photos for the grid and there's nothing worse than a dead battery. #bookstagram

(I'm only slightly joking with this one but here's my Insta! https://www.instagram.com/cazzimon/).

9. Food would be a Gregg's buffet. Now they do vegan ranges it's something to suit everyone - who doesn't want a big fat pasty?! (Also they do 3 cheese pizza which keeps Husband happy).

10. Last on my list is bookmarks! One of the things that I love to collect is bookmarks. Whenever my mum and I go somewhere we always try to get one of those leather bookmarks with the place name on (yes we're very cute.) There are some amazing creators out there now making bookmarks and I just happen to know one personally. If you're into bookmarks like me, please do check out Jenn's etsy shop! Literary Galaxy (I'm not paid for this, she's just fab and deserves some love!)

Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Really Liked but Can’t Remember Anything/Much About

 

This week's topic is 'Books I Really Liked but Can't Remember Much About'. Admittedly, I had to scroll through Goodreads before even contemplating what kind of thing might be on this list and honestly, it kinda turned into a different list: Series' I Loved But Can't Remember Enough To Finish Them and Need To Re-read Them All Again.


1. Eragon by Christopher Paolini - I devoured these books when I was younger and as with anyone else who read them back then, I endured years and years of waiting. By the time the next book in the series was released, it had been several years of waiting and the majority of the plot had vanished into the depths of my mind. To this day I haven't finished them because i'm concerned that the re-reading of them will take away some of the magic. Plus they're huge books! It's a committment.

2. Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw - I was introduced to Wintercraft by my cousin. I read the first 2 books and LOVED them ferociously. Then I was off in uni and adult life was kicking in. I literally can't remember a thing about them anymore and didn't get to finish the series!

3. Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver - Oh this series <3 I loved every second of reading them. I still remember that feeling of the latest book turning up on the doorstep. I just wish I could remember the ins and outs of them! I've got a basic idea of the overall story but it makes me sad that I can't remember much of them now.

4. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson - I read the first 2 books of this series in pretty quick succession after discovering her on YouTube shortly before the first one was released. I can't remember anything about them now but I do know that I didn't get round to reading the last one yet and so a whole re-read is in order.

5. Red Letter Days by Rachel Caine - I was sent a copy of the first book by Harlequin 4/5 years ago and read it in 1 sitting. Since then I acquired both books in the series and forever had the intention to read the second and add to my Rachel Caine collection. Sadly I never did and now I remember next to nothing about the entire thing.

6. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - I got these books around the same time as I was reading Hunger Games for the first time. It took me AGES to get through the first 3 books even though I was enjoying them because I was away at university. However, by the time things settled down, i'd forgotten almost everything other than the basics and so, surprise surprise, I didn't finish the series. I'm still determined to though.

7. Inside Out by Maria V Snyder - This book has been in my head for SO long and the worst of it is that I literally can't remember what it was about bar crawling around in some pipes etc. I remember being really excited reading it as it felt so different - so I have no idea how I didn't get around to reading the next book.

8. Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton - 1 word - Sebastian. I can't really elaborate because other than the name Sebastian I can't remember a damn thing about it. These books need to move up my TBR immediately.

9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner - These are a little awks because I remember the films so clearly. I can't remember the books at all though, which again is probably why I didn't get around to finishing the whole series. I'm excited for the next movie coming out though!

10. Talon by Julie Kagawa - UGH I stinking loved the first 2 books in this series. I even have the next one! But by the time I even remembered it was a thing, they'd run out of my head again. A re-read is definitely in order for these.

Top Ten Tuesday | Bookish Resolutions/Goals

So! This is the first week of That Artsy Reader hosting TTT - hurrah! It's sad to see the demise of Broke & The Bookish but onwards and upwards. This weeks topic is: Bookish Resolutions/Goals. I already posted a little about this so i've tried to think a bit more about my long term goals. As usual, I couldn't actually make 10, so here are 5 Resolution/Goals I have for 2018!

1. Organisation
The organisation that I had for my books works really well for me, but over the weekend i've tried to mix it up a little. So until now I had bookshelves for those i'd read and bookshelves for those I hadn't or wish to re-read. The unread/re-read books have taken over my house in the last couple of years for various reasons and it just looked....well....awful. So i'm trying out a new system and fingers crossed it works out.

2. No purchases in 2018
I've mentioned it a couple of times but it seems worthwhile to say it here as it's my biggest bookish goal this year. Throughout 2018 I'm attempting to purchase no new books! So if they are free, netgalleys, gifts or one of the few pre-orders I made in 2017, they're all good to go! I haven't struggled at all yet but there are a few books coming out this year (MAUREEN JOHNSON!) that might push me over the edge. Fingers crossed I can hold off and get things as birthday presents etc. Wish me luck!

3. What I Want/When I Want
Having struggled to read, well, anything over the last few years i've decided to take a What I Want When I Want approach. All I want to read is comics and graphic novels? Fine. Want to re-read 60 books rather than 10 new ones? Fine. No more putting pressure on myself for anything. I'm easing back into the blogging world and trying to find my own entertainment from it rather than providing entertainment. If I start and half read 50 books this year, well that's an accumulative 25 "read". I'm focusing on the actual reading part rather than the finished products.

4. Not Just Reading
This links into the last one a little. I'm realising that having a bookish blog doesn't just mean I review books. If I don't post a single review in 2018 but there's regular content discussing all kinds of bookish things then i'll consider that an achievement too.

5. More Non Fiction
This is probably going to be the most challenging for me. I want to read more Non Fiction, particularly the books that I already bought as part of Emma Watson's Our Shared Shelf so as not to breach goal #2. I've had some of these books for a long time and ALWAYS choose Fiction over them. I WANT to read them, so i'll try and set aside some time this year to get through a couple of them.

Ten Books We Meant To Read In 2017 But Didn't Get To (and totallyyyy plan to get to in 2018!!)

Narrowing this list down to 10 is the most taxing thing i've done so far this month. I was a huge slacker in the reading sense last year and i'm hoping I can do a lot of making up this year. Here are just some of the books I missed out on but definitely plan on getting to soon!

1. Moxie - Jennifer Mathieu
2. Carve The Mark - Veronica Roth
3. Caraval - Stephanie Garber
4. Wonder Woman: Warbringer - Leigh Bardugo
5. Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman
6. Wintersong - S. Jae-Jones
7. Stillhouse Lake - Rachel Caine
8.  Strange The Dreamer - Laini Taylor
9. The Creakers - Tom Fletcher
10. All That She Can See - Carrie Hope Fletcher

Top Three New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2017

First off, I haven't done these in FOREVER.
Secondly, I know it's supposed to be 10 and i've only picked 3 but give me a break! I spent the majority of the year crying and re-reading old books =P 

1. Joe Hill
I'm not sure if this counts but as it's my list, I say it totally does! Locke and Key was recommended to me and I was hooked instantly! As I write this, i'm almost done with Volume 3 and i'm so mad it took me so long to actually read! Excellent content, incredible art work and just all around great stuff.

2. Matt Haig
2017 was a bad mental health year for me and I received one of his books LAST Christmas. I've actually got a couple of his books on my never ending TBR but in 2017 I finally picked one up and devoured it. Looking forward to seeing what else he's written!

3. Giovanna Fletcher
I've been watching Tom, Giovanna & Carrie for a long time on YouTube and knew she was an author but honestly just didn't think it would be my kinda thing. However, I spent a LOT of 2017 following the Fletcher family (in a non creepy way....!) and finally dove in and loved her writing style. I actually met her recently too!

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List

March 31: Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List

1. The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

2. Everyday by David Levithan

3. Storm Front by Jim Butcher

4. Shadow Study by Maria V Snyder

5. Denton's Little Death Date by Lance Rubin

6. Enchantment Lake by Margi Preus

7. Cleo by Lucy Coats

8. My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

9. Creature Comforts by Trisha Ashley

10. Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Brianna's Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

December 31: Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Levithan & Cohn

3. Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

5. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

6. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Levithan & Cohn

7. Bite Club by Rachel Caine

8. Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

9. Foretold by Jana Oliver

10.

Caragh's Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

December 24: Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

2. Every Day by David Levithan

3. Kneller's Happy Campers - Etgar Keret

4. Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

5. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

6. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

7. Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn

8. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

9. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

10.  Being Human: The Road by Simon Guerrier

Caragh's Top Ten (5) Winter TBR Books

December 10: Top Ten (5) Books On My Winter TBR

1. Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy

2. Story of My Life by Anne Cassidy

3. Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

4. Death Note Vol 8 by Obha & Obata

5. Percy Jackson & The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

None of these are really wintery or Christmassy but they're the books I aim to get through over the next couple of weeks! If you have any suggestions for any good Winter/Christmas themed books then let me know!

Caragh's Top 7 2014 Releases

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

December 3: Top Ten 2014 Release I'm Dying To Read

I'm actually really terrible for knowing when books are being released and I rely heavily on goodreads, twitter and word of mouth to let me know when books are on their way to us! However, there are 7 on my mind so here you go!

1. Shattered by Teri Terry

2. Book 4 of Maria Snyder's 'Study Series' though it has no release date!

3. Unhinged by A.G. Howard

4. After The End by Amy Plum

5. The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

6. Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

7. Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Caragh's Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" To Read!

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

Theme: October 15: Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read (either by teachers, friends, other bloggers, book club) -- doesn't necessarily have to be a BAD thing. Could be required reading, yes, but also book club, or just super enthusiastic friends "making" you read something!

This week's Top 10 should be pretty easy! 4 years of English Literature at University has given me a LOT of books that I really wasn't interested in reading. Most of these books became some of my all-time favourites so it just goes to show that sometimes you have to put your prejudice aside and see for yourself.

1. The Great Gatsby - F.Scott.Fitzgerald
From what I can gather, most American teens have this as required reading at school but here in Britain, we're heavy on the English side of Literature. I took an American Lit class at uni and naturally this was somewhere near the top of the list and for no reason whatsoever, I groaned often and loudly about having to read it. It turns out though that it's actually really, really good. I guess those critics know what they're talking about huh?

2. The Foreshadowing - Marcus Sedgwick
When Brianna and I decided to houseshare, we also decided to bookshare and amalgamate our libraries. After a while we also started picking out books for each other to see if we could gauge each other's reading interests. This one however was a fail. Though the premise sounded incredible, the actual story left a LOT to be desired. For those interested - she knows me much better now.

3. The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen
Okay so I wasn't exactly "forced" to read this - but at the time it seemed like everyone left, right and centre was getting some Sorensen action and if I wanted to hold a conversation, I had to join in with the buzz. This is the perfect example of pre-judging a book! Before I knew anything about it, I was adamant that it just wasn't for me. Even during the reading process I was telling myself that! However, the story won out over my ridiculous prejudices and by the time I finished the first book, i'd already bought the next 3 and I devoured every single one.

4. Cursed by David Wellington
Kind of a funny story. I actually bought Cursed myself a few years ago in the hope that I could be less anti-werewolf! However a bunch of my friends read it before me and I was still incredibly reluctant to read it. Well after a TBR list making swap, this was picked out for me and I finally had to read it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and it made me possibly the most angry i've been at a book in a LONG time but i'm glad I finally read it. Now I just have to stop myself from being forced to read the sequel...

5. Cwmardy by Lewis Jones
This one was another Uni book! Surprisingly, when you take a Welsh writing class at a Welsh uni when you're a Welsh student.. they make you read Welsh books. This was the first book on the reading list and after I bought it and had a flick through, I was really not happy about reading it. Of course, much like most of the books i'm "forced" to read, I absolutely loved it. It was so nice getting a little fictionalised history of the country I live in and seeing how the culture has changed over the years. Really great book.

6. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
I kind of left myself in the dark about this one. 4 years ago when I moved into student housing, I met a LOT of awesome people. All of which had read, or were reading this book and told me that I just HAD to read it asap! Naturally as the stubborn person I am, I (in no way at all, but for drama's sake) flipped my hair back and said 'Ha! I shall not take your advice for I am a Superior English Student and shall find my own books!' Only to find myself completely at a loss for words whenever the subject came up and then finally read it 3 years after when nobody cared anymore. But I LOVED it. It's fantastical, mystical and occasionally downright disgusting but definitely a must read for fantasy lovers. I'm actually reading the second one right now!

7. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
I know, I know. Who needs to be "forced" to read this right? Me, it would seem. When the movie came out, I saw it with my then-best-friend  and I was so far from impressed, I was actually bored and skipped the end. It's so unlike me to judge a book by it's movie but in this case, I just assumed everyone was crazy. I eventually got around to reading it last year after plenty of people insisted that the movie was in no way like the book, and pleasantly found that it was me who was in fact crazy. This book is a comedic masterpiece and makes me thankful that i'm now way more open to suggestions than I was as a teenager.

8. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
This was another gem that was forced upon me by university. I must have been living under a rock because not only had I never heard of it before, but it's actually brilliant in the truest sense of the word. The only way I can really describe it is as an Industrialised Jane Austen which is probably making somebody's head out of there explode. I loved the no-nonsense female lead and the cultural aspects of the book but even just as a story it was great.

9. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
I'm sure I don't need to explain why this one is a winner for me now but the idea of reading what seemed like a long and dull political speech was really not exciting to me as an 18 year old. By the time I was done with it, my brain had melted, I became more politically aware and was baffled by how many times in my lifetime I had paraphrased sections of this book without ever knowing it existed. A true timeless classic that I will be "forcing" on people forever.

10. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Anyone who knows me will find it hard to believe that I was in any way, shape or form "forced" to read this book. It has been my go-to reading material for over 10 years now and I just can't get enough of it. However, it has to start somewhere and for me it was the dreaded Shakespeare section of any high school English class. Granted, it didn't take me long to fall in love with it (by around the first line, in all honestly) but if it wasn't for that initial push of school, there's a chance that what is my absolute favourite play of all time would just be one of those Shakespeare plays that run out of your head as soon as someone mentions it. (E.g. Brianna had never even heard of Pericles).

Brianna's Top Ten Best Sequels Ever

Hosted by Broke & the Bookish

This is sadly only a top five (I struggled enough to come up with 5). Mostly because I read a lot of serials and it's hard really to say #2 in a trilogy is a really good sequel as often they can only really be read as one story; Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy for example is basically just one big story rather than 3 smaller interlinking stories. Another reasonis that sometimes a series does not get better after the first book. So here is my top five best sequels:

1. Swords of Night and Day by David Gemmell (Sequel of White Wolf). This sequel is as good if not better than the first, it is also very different in some ways yet still familiar. I also like how it doesn't follow straight on from the first.

2. Morganville 2-14 by Rachel Caine (S of Glass Houses). This is more of sequels than sequel. I've added these because each book in this series is refreshing and new despite being part of a long standing series - often following straight on from the events of the previous book - they have never felt stale.

3. Snuff by Terry Prattchett (S of Thud!). The discworld books aren't exactly a strict series and neither are the city watch storyline but they do follow on from each other in a chronological order. I've added this because with each book you get to see the City Watch and Sam Vimes grow and change a little. You see Sam get promoted, fall in love, become a father and change his views but never do I get bored of seeing him or do his story lines seem unoriginal.

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (S of Divergent). Insurgent is on this list is because everything changes in. Insurgent it is no longer the same world as Divergent yet it still manages to feel like the same world.

5. Magic Study by Maria V Snyder (S of Poison Study). Magic study is here for similar reasons as Insurgent, although less changes in Magic Study it still has a new feel to it despite being similar.

Caragh's Top Ten Fall TBR Lists!

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

September 17: Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List (you could do top ten fall releases you plan on reading or just your planned reading list)

I don't really have TBR Lists anymore as I can never stick to them and I just get anxious when I don't get through them all! So rather than a set list of books I want to read by x/x  etc, these are just books I want to get through in no particular order!

1. Game of Thrones - George RR Martin

I started this in JUNE! It's a pretty big book but there's no excuse for not finishing it by now other than impatience to start other books which get finished quicker. So fingers crossed I can get this one off my list ASAP.

2. The Maze Runner - James Dashner

I bought this series a long time ago and wanted to start it straight away but other books got in my way ;) It seems like it could be a good book to get into whilst wrapping up warm in front of the heater!

3. Beautiful Redemption - Garcia & Stohl

Incredible series so far but for whatever reason I keep putting off the final book but it's time to get it done with and move on! Then I can jump in to new series'.

4. Inferno - Dan Brown

I borrowed this from my grandparents a few weeks ago and it's still sitting unread so I really need to get on this one and give it back!

5. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - Levithan & Cohn

I've read this before but I absolutely adore it! I think it'll make a great book to read in the fall as it's wintery and it'll be a nice book to lead into the winter months.

6. Dead Ever After - Charlaine Harris

To me, fall feels like a good time to finish off as many series as possible so that the freezing cold winter months can be spend reading Christmassy/Feel good books ready for the new year! With that in mind I think I want to get the Southern Vampire books over with.

7. Two Weeks Notice - Rachel Caine

Firstly, it'd be weird if Rachel Caine didn't feature in one of my Top Tens! *Obsessed* but also with the third book being released soon, I want to finish the second so I don't have to wait for the last one!

8. Parallel - Lauren Miller

A new-to-me author (maybe even new? I haven't done much research)! This was a gift from my mum and i've been wanting to read it for ages now so it's bumped up my list and hopefully i'll finish it soon.

9. Grave Secret - Charlaine Harris

Another Charlaine Harris book on this list. It's the last in the Harper Connolly series. They're really fun and quick and after reading all the other books on this list i'll be missing my Kindle which I bought this one on!

10. Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind

This one is cheating a little ;) Although i'll almost certainly start this book in the fall, I have no intentions of finishing it until late in the year! It's one of those books that will take a long time to read as I like to read them in short, frequent bursts. Also it was getting really hard trying to think of books i'm likely to read in the next few weeks ;) Who knows what I will have bought by then!

Caragh's Top Ten Favourite Books Set In The South! (USA)

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

This weeks Top Ten is pretty open! The description is: Top Ten Favorite Books With X Setting (ie: futuristic world, set mostly in schools, during World War II, books set in California  etc. etc. So many possibilities!) 

I picked The Deep South because not only do I LOVE that region of America, but a lot of books I love just so happen to be set in and around that area too. So with that, here is my list!

1. Morganville by Rachel Caine
It's been a while since I shamelessly talked about this book series. It's my absolute favourite and as if it was done especialy for me, Morganville is set in the state of Texas. Great books, insanely loveable characters and badass storylines plus Texas? Hell yeah!

2. Harper Connolly by Charlaine Harris
I'm actually a much bigger fan of the Southern Vampire series (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) but for this instance i'm using Harris's somewhat lesser known Harper Connolly series as to be it feels more 'Southern'. Harper is a young woman who just so happens to communicate with the dead and help them rest in peace...or at least help their families. The books are really interesting and have a little mystery/crime about them.

3. Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Maybe cheating a little here as I haven't read Beautiful Redemption yet, but the Caster Chronicles series is fast becoming one of my favourites. Set in the fictional (or at least I believe it is!) Gatlin County, South Carolina, an average student in an extraordinarily boring town is about to find out that in the South, nothing is as it seems! So much tension, action and adventure in these books, great character building and some beautiful Southern accents!

4. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I'm not entirely sure if this is the real South, but I love it all the same. Huckleberry Finn was one of my favourite books growing up. I used to steal my brother's copy of the book all the time until he eventually gave in and gave it to me permanently. I went on to study my beloved Huck in an American Lit class and my interest in the book only grew.

5. Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver
Demon Trappers is set in Atlanta/Georgia and even though it's just words on the page, Beck really brings the Southern feel to the books. His frequent slips into his Georgian accent melts my heart. I've always had a fascination with Southern accents so it serves as just one more reason to love Denver Beck! Swoon.

6. Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
I'm picking this book rather than the whole series because it's the only one i've finished! The film version of this is possibly my favourite of all time and when I finally read the book a few years ago, I loved that too! Unlike today's vampire books, IWTV feels dark, mysterious and dangerous. And Southern! In my mind I always connect vampires with the South because of this book. A great read and a must-have for any vampire lover.

7. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Another one set in Georgia, The Color Purple is a wonderful, heartfelt and award-winning novel that focuses on the life of black women in America in 1930's. Well worthy of it's success, The Color Purple is definitely a must read. It's rich in character and history. Despite having read it a fairly long time ago, the story has stuck with me and is a favourite.

8. Holes by Louis Sachar
I shamefully only read Holes last year! So many people said wonderful things about this book that I just had to get it read. A quick and easy read full of adventure and really awesome kids! Holes is set in Texas which adds a lot to the story. Hours and hours a day digging holes in the desert with no chance of escape...ouch! 

9. Ruby Landry series by Virginia Andrews
Not many people know this about me but I really enjoy Virginia Andrews! The first series of books I read by her were the Ruby Landry series, set in Louisiana. Thinking back, this is probably the book that really got me interested in the South. At one point, Ruby attends the Mardi Gras and it was so interesting to read about. It also makes me hungry for Cajun food.

10. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson
Though the Shades of London books are set in London (duh!), protagonist Rory hails from Louisiana and throughout the current 2 books, she often makes references to her home in Louisiana and her food choices (oh she loves her food!). The books are incredible and i'm super excited for the release of book three!

Brianna's Top Ten Books I Wish Had A Sequel

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

This week I take on the task of finding books that I wish had a sequel. Be warned that at some point this turns into Top Books I Wish Had A Prequel.

Not quite top ten as apparently I am incredibly satisfied with what I read. There are some that I would like to see more of just because I really liked the characters/book and I was really sad to see them go, but in reality I don’t think there should be a sequel.

1.  White Wolf by David Gemmell  - White Wolf already has a sequel (The Swords of Night and Day) but there is a significant time gap between them. So I would love there to be a sequel a year or two after the events of White Wolf because I have a lot of questions about what happens to the characters. This will sadly always remain a fantasy as David Gemmell died in 2006.

2.  Fire Study by Maria V Snyder – This is the 3^rd book of the Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study). I would love to see another book for this series as I still think both the world and the characters have more to offer.

3.  Demon Trappers (prequel) by Jana Oliver – Again not quite sure if this counts… The Demon Trappers books leave a lot of questions about the world/time that these books take place in. where did the demons come from, is this our reality or a fictional reality, have the demons always been there and if so why are they now a much bigger problem? I think a lot of these questions could be addressed if there were some kind of prequel for this series maybe set around the time that Atlanta began to become run down.

4.  The Night Angel Trilogy (prequel) by Brent Weeks – I would not like a sequel to this as I think Weeks ended this trilogy in exactly the right place. I do however want a prequel focused on Durzo and his life before the Trilogy.

5.  Discworld (Sam Vimes) by Terry Pratchett – I love reading the discworld novels and my favourite character/story arc is that which centres around Sam Vimes and the city watch so I would like to see more of them.

 

6.  Twilight (Midnight Sun) by Stephanie Meyer – Not quite sure if this is a sequel as it doesn’t occur afterwards but I have been waiting for a sign that Midnight Sun would be continued since I first read the unfinished novel. If this counts then I would be thrilled to continue reading the twilight story from Edwards POV.

7.  Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan – Again a series I really enjoyed and I don’t see why Percy should stop having adventures. Although there may have been a sequel since I read them… so I don’t know if this counts.

8.  Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist by Cohn and Levithan – Mainly with this I want to know if Nora jumps the subway barrier, did they see each other again and did they become a couple?

Lastly to make this up to 10: 2 Books I definitely do not want Sequels to.

1.  Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick – I think 4 books in this series was more than enough, I enjoyed reading them but I don’t want another word of this series and let’s face it that word would be ‘Black’.

2.  Harry Potter  by JK Rowling – I suppose I don’t want another Harry book, I would read it if she wrote one but given the option I don’t want one. I am content to wonder what Harry, Ron and Hermione are up to and I don’t think I need clarification.