My Life in Books Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged to do the My Life in Books tag by two lovely and awesome people: Ashleigh over at A Frolic Through Fiction and Michelle over at Book Adventures. Thank you both for the tag! Ashleigh and Michelle are two absolutely fantastic book bloggers, so if you haven’t checked out their blogs, be sure to head on over! 🙂

Find a book for each of your initials.

My initials are AJML so…

…I chose A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, Jackaby by William Ritter, More Than This by Patrick Ness, and Legend by Marie Lu.I have a lot of “A” books, but A Monster Calls is one of my favorite books of all time. Jackaby is the only “J” book I own, but it just so happens to be another favorite of mine. More Than This I have not read yet; I am severely lacking in the “M” book department, but it’s by one of my favorite authors (hence my “A” choice!). I am also severely lacking in the “L” book department, but Legend is fantastic.

Count your age along your bookshelf—which book is it?

I’m 21, so the book I got was…

…Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I had to use my Goodreads bookshelf for this, but I went in alphabetical order by last name, so it will be the same on my physical shelves once I have them set up. This is embarrassing to admit, but I actually don’t currently have any shelves in my room! I am in the process of rearranging things and adding new furniture, so all of my books are in storage boxes at the moment.

Pick a book set in your city/state/country.

Since I very highly doubt that there are any books that take place in my actual city, I chose my top three favorite American novels.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Pick a book that represents a destination you would like to travel to.

I decided to choose one real place (Prague) and one fictional place (Narnia).

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor takes place in Prague, a city to which I have already been and have completely fallen in love with. I desperately want to go back for another (and hopefully longer) visit.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis takes you to Narnia, the fictional world that I would like to visit the most out of any I’ve ever read. Also I want to live in England one day, so this could count toward my real place as well.

Pick a book that’s your favorite color.

Even though I love every color and vibrantly colorful things in general, “rainbow” is not technically “a color”. I will now take this moment to address the fact that I am a strange human being (yeah, we knew that already, Ari.) because, having just stated my love of bright, multicolored things, oddly, my favorite color is black…

Once again, I’ve chosen more than one book because Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn has one of my favorite color combinations (pink and black), and Vicious by V.E. Schwab has my other favorite color combination (red and black).

Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

Though I have incredibly fond memories of reading the entire series as I grew up, I have to say, some of my fondest memories are of reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. This was the first Harry Potter novel I was old enough to read on my own, which made it very special to me, and it also happens to be one of my favorite storylines on top of that. I also have quite a fond memory of going to the midnight release of The Deathly Hallows with my best friend, then staying up all night together and reading it, so that would be a close second!

Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

I have to admit, it slightly pains me to put this two books next to each other.

1984 by George Orwell I found to be relatively difficult to get though due to the fact that my brain did not click well with Orwell’s writing style, gorgeous as it was. This, however, is an incredible story, one of my favorite novels of all time, and a book that I am very glad I pushed through; it was well worth it in the end!

(Apologies in advance if you like this story. Don’t read on if you did!) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad on the other hand…where do I begin? This is technically considered a novella because of its length, but I just had to throw this in here. To be completely honest, this was the worst and most excruciating eighty or so pages I have ever read in my life. The writing is atrocious and the story was absolutely not worth the effort in my opinion.

Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest sense of accomplishment when you finish it?

Let’s whip out those frighteningly massive books shall we!

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I tend to get a bit intimidated by giant books sometimes, and these are the two largest ones on my shelf. Aside from the feeling of accomplishment I will get by completing about 2,000 total pages between the two, I feel like these are also two books that everyone has read. Three (or five) other novels I will feel a huge sense of accomplishment after finishing are…

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

…again, mainly due to the fact that I should have read them by this point in my reading life. Also, I clearly feel quite accomplished by finishing books with authors who have the initials “R.R.” in their names.

I Tag:

SSJ Time Lord

Trisha @ The Bookgasm

Emma @ The Terror of Knowing

Fran @ Nightjar’s Jar of Books

Michelle @ Michelle, Books and Movies Addict

Umbreen @ Read by Umbreen

And if you are reading this and haven’t done it, then I tag YOU! 🙂

12Nov2015

Real Neat Blog Award

Posted in Awards by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was nominated by the lovely Kayla over at bookedsolid1989. Thank you so much for the nomination!

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The Rules:

-Thank and link the blogger who nominated you

-Answer the seven questions the nomination has provided

-Nominate 7 other bloggers

-Create 7 questions for your nominees

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Kayla’s Questions

1. What are you most excited about for the end of the year?

I am definitely most excited for the holidays; specifically, I am excited for the music! I’m a singer, and my absolute favorite time of the choral year is coming up. We do some of the best music and the most fun concerts at the holidays. Plus the season is just lovely and cheerful in general, and I’m particularly looking forward to that this year. I can’t wait to see friends and family, and (hopefully) have a good amount of time to relax as well.

2. What book or book series do you love and would recommend to others?

The book that I would recommend the most to others would be my absolute favorite book of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is such a beautiful and important novel, and something that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. A book series that I would recommend to others, aside from the obvious ones like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, would be The Chronicles of Narnia. Okay, so that might be a slightly obvious one too…but it’s one of my favorites! I can’t not mention it! 🙂

3. Who are a few of your favorite authors?

My all-time favorite authors are Arthur Conan Doyle, William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, and Harper Lee. Some of my semi more recently discovered favorites are Gillian Flynn and Patrick Ness.

4. What is your favorite television series at this time?

I actually don’t watch all that many shows that are still on the air. However, my current favorite television series is definitely Doctor Who, though Sherlock is a very close second. I have been getting into Game of Thrones lately though, so that’s working its way up my favorites list too.

5. If you could spend one day with a fictional character, who would it be?

If I could spend a day with one fictional character, I would choose Sherlock Holmes. Not only is he one of my favorite literary characters, but I also think it would be absolutely amazing to have a chance to accompany him on a case for a day. I’d love to see his deductive skills in action first hand, and maybe even assist him in the investigation. However, I don’t think I could stand him for long periods of time; I’m not nearly as patient as Watson! So one day would be absolutely perfect. Another character I might like to spend the day with would be Mr. Tumnus.

6. Which cover of a book (whether you’ve read it or not) do you absolutely love?

Come on…there was no way I was going to be able to pick just one! 😀

7. Are you currently reading a book? If so, what is it and how are you feeling about it so far?

I am currently working on Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I’m not overly far into it yet, but I am already really liking it; I’m very excited to continue on, and I should have a review up when I’m done!

I Nominate:

Michelle @ Book Adventures

Bree @ The Literary Hellion

Liam @ Liam’s Library

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Poppy @ Poppy’s Best of Books

Cherry @ Read Forevermore

Bear @ Book Bear Blog

My Questions:

1. Who are a few of your favorite authors you discovered in 2015?

2. What is your favorite hobby outside of reading?

3. What are two places, one fictional and one real, that you would most like to travel to (or maybe live)?

4. What book or books do you think deserve more recognition?

5. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

6. What are your favorite songs/bands/artists to listen to?

7. What are some of your most anticipated book releases of 2016?

11Nov2015

Top 5 Wednesday – November 11th, 2015

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Gingerreadslainey. Every week, book reviewers all over the world are given a bookish topic and respond with their top 5 books (or elements of books) that relate to that topic. Click here for the Goodreads group if you would like to learn more about Top 5 Wednesday and join in!

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is the top five books you did not finish. I don’t often stop in the middle of books, so this was a hard list for me to compile. Usually, no matter how I’m feeling about it, I absolutely hate stopping before the end of a novel or series. I’m not sure why, but I just can’t seem to leave anything unfinished; it really bugs me! However, there are a handful novels that I have stopped partway through because I truly could not get myself to continue them.

Since some of these picks may be a tad controversial, I thought I should include a little disclaimer! 🙂 These are not by any means bad novels; in fact, for a number of these, I can completely see why they have so many fans. The books on this list were simply not my cup of tea and, for that reason, I personally found them difficult to finish.

5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

All right, so this one is technically not an official DNF forever. I started this a year or two ago and just could not get into the story. The writing style was not my favorite and the plot itself upset me more than I expected. I only read a few chapters, but I was not enjoying my reading experience at all, so I ended up putting it aside and I have not yet gotten back to it. I will say, I believe my reading mood at the time partially contributed to my feelings; I don’t think I should have started it when I did, which is why I do actually intend to give it another go at some point. But at this moment, it is a DNF.

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I’m not exactly sure why I attempted to read this series because it is not at all the type of story I like to read. I’m pretty sure it was due to the fact that I had heard all the hype and praise surrounding these novels; I thought I should give them a go and maybe they would surprise me. I really hoped that I would enjoy them, but unfortunately that did not happen, and I made it about halfway through Shiver before giving up. I do intend to give Maggie Stiefvater’s other novels, such as The Raven Boys, a try despite not liking these stories; some of those storylines seem a bit more suited to my personal tastes.

3. Dead Rules by Randy Russell

Again, we have another case where I have no clue why I attempted to read this. A few years back, I picked it up at the library on a whim, but absolutely could not get into it. I remember that I could not stand the main character, and the plot, which had sounded like an interesting idea, fell completely flat for me. On top of that, I never clicked with the author’s writing style. I read only about a third of the novel and it was just going too slow and not showing any signs of picking up. I truly could not find anything I really liked about the story, and figured it wasn’t really worth trying to continue on to the end.

2. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Song of Solomon was a book that we read in high school, but I switched schools a couple of months into the year and was no longer required to read it. This is also one of the only classics that was required reading in school that I did not enjoy. I could not get into this story at all and was not interested in seeing how it wrapped up so, when I left school, I just ended up putting it down. I do not, at the moment, have any intention of trying to finish it off, however, this is another case where I would like to give some of the author’s other work a try one day. I know Toni Morrison is a very popular writer, and maybe another novel would be more my type.

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

This is probably my most controversial choice on here, but I have to admit, I am not a fan of the Twilight series. This series was never my type of series; the main reason that I had begun reading it was due to all the hype surrounding it. Now, I did not completely hate the first two books, but I didn’t particularly like them either. Since I had gotten halfway through, I figured I would just finish off the final books in the series since I hate to leave anything incomplete. However, I genuinely could not stand this book and all the drama and angst, and I just decided it was time to put it aside.

What novels have you stopped in the middle of? Are you like me where you have trouble stopping in the middle of books or series once you start? Let me know down in the comments!

-Ariana

10Nov2015

Top 10 Tuesday – November 10th, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

First of all, I would like to start out by thanking everyone who has been liking and commenting on my posts and following my blog these past few months. I have just passed 100 followers this week and I am completely astonished, and thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit and read my posts. In just a short period of time, I have already met so many incredible and lovely people to nerd out about books with! You are all absolutely fantastic and amazing and awesome! 🙂 ❤

Now, time for today’s list! This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic combines two of my greatest passions: books and film! The topic is the top ten book to movie adaptations you’re looking forward to or the top ten book to movie adaptations you still need to watch. The two things that I am worst at keeping up with are my “to be read” list and my “to be watched” list! So even though I have a number of upcoming book to movie adaptations that I am looking forward to, I thought I should do something a little different for my list today.

I ended up choosing five book to movie adaptations I still need to watch and five book to movie adaptations where I have watched the film but still have to read the book. So without further ado, I will take myself on a little TBR and TBW guilt trip!

Click on the pictures for links to either the IMDb or Goodreads pages.

Top 10 Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch

1. Gone Girl

If you’ve read any of my other posts I’m sure you know that I almost always manage to mention this book somehow! This has become one of my favorite novels and I can’t believe I haven’t watched this yet. It’s at the top of my to be watched list for sure.

2. Mockingjay (Part One)

This is another one I can’t believe I haven’t gotten around to watching yet, since this is one of my favorite book and film series of all time. I definitely need to get caught up before the last one comes out (which could also technically be on this list, but I have a much better excuse for not having seen that one!).

3. The Martian

Now, I’ve not actually read this book yet but I desperately want to, and I really want to see the film as well. I’ve been hearing nothing but fantastic things about both, and I am so eager to see what I think of this story.

4. Divergent

I read Divergent last year and loved it, but I missed it when it was in theaters and I’ve still not yet had a chance to sit down and watch it. I also have not yet seen Insurgent, but I figured I would list this one since it’s the first. I definitely plan on watching both and catching up pretty soon.

5. Hugo

I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret last year and absolutely loved it. I have never seen the film Hugo and I didn’t know much about it, so it took me far too long to figure out that this was related to the book! I’ve heard great things about this movie, so I’m interested to see what it’s like.

Top 10 Book To Movie Adaptations I’ve Seen But Still Need To Read

1. The Book Thief

I went to see this with my best friend back when it first came out and completely adored it; this is an utterly incredible and beautiful film. I have already mentioned many times my intense book guilt over not having read this yet, and I do also feel pretty guilty for having watched the movie first. But I will read this soon, I promise!

2. The Hundred-Foot Journey

I went to see The Hundred-Foot Journey when it was in theaters, and it was magnificent; one of the best films I saw last year. I actually didn’t realize that it was a novel until afterward, and I was extremely excited to find that out. I cannot wait to read this and experience the story all over again. And if you have not seen this film yet, I would very highly recommend it!

3. Rebecca

This movie. Oh my goodness, this movie! One of my favorites of all time. I cannot even count the amount of times I have watched this, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s taken me far too long, but I’ve finally picked up a copy of this novel, and I definitely intend to read it some time next year.

4. Misery

Misery is my favorite Stephen King film adaptation and one of my favorite films in general. I saw this for the first time many years ago and yet I have still not read the book! This is the novel that my dad, a massive Stephen King fan, is always recommending to me, and it will definitely be my next Stephen King read.

5. A Tale of Two Cities

I have a major dilemma with Charles Dickens: I love his stories but do not enjoy reading them. I think this film (specifically the Ronald Colman version) is fantastic, and I feel the same of every adaptation I have seen of his other works, such as A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations; they are some of my favorite films/stories. Now, I will admit, it has been quite a few years since I last read one of his novels, so I do intend to give this and some of his other novels and short stories another try at some point. I am hoping now that I’m older and my reading taste has matured, I will find it easier to get through his work.

There you have it! I am definitely feeling the book/film guilt! What book to movie adaptations do you still need to watch? Which ones have you seen but not read? Are there any new ones you are particularly looking forward to in the coming year? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

3Nov2015

Top 10 Tuesday – November 3rd, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for the first Top 10 Tuesday list of November. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is either the top ten debut authors who have you looking forward to their sophomore novel, or the top ten sophomore novels that you loved just as much if not more than the author’s debut. I have had to put my own little spin on this topic because I actually have not read many debut authors recently. I have a sizeable number of 2014 and 2015 debuts on my TBR, but I’ve only gotten to a few thus far. However, in the past year or so, I have also discovered a lot of new to me authors whose debuts are the only works I have read by them.

So for today’s list, I’m going to list the top seven authors who are either recent debut authors I’m anticipating the sophomore novel of, or authors with already published sophomore novels that I am dying to read. The final three will be authors I’ve read whose sophomore novels I think are as good or even better than their debuts.

Now that we are all sufficiently confused, let’s jump straight into these lists! 🙂

Authors Whose Sophomore Novels I’m Dying to Read

1. Amy Zhang – Falling into Place

Amy Zhang is a 2014 debut author. I read this novel at the end of last year and was extremely impressed by it. Not only was it a very well told and skillfully constructed story, but I was also stunned to find out that this was written by a teenager! Her next novel is coming out in March and I am very interested to read more of her work.

2. William Ritter – Jackaby

Jackaby is a 2014 debut novel and I read it back at the beginning of this year. It is one of my favorite novels I have read in 2015 so far, and I’ve been very much anticipating the sequel, Beastly Bones, which was just recently released. It is definitely going to be one of my next reads.

3. Shannon Lee Alexander – Love and Other Unknown Variables

This is a 2014 debut novel that I read late last year and completely fell in love with. It took me by surprise because it is not the type of novel that I would generally enjoy, or even think to give a try to be honest. But it was fantastic and I loved Shannon Lee Alexander’s writing and storytelling style. I’m not sure if there is a sophomore novel in the works, but I certainly hope there is.

4. Allie Brosh – Hyperbole and a Half

I read this last year and absolutely loved it; this is one of the funniest books I have ever read. There is supposedly a second novel coming out (Solutions and Other Problems), but the date keeps getting pushed back, so I’m not sure if or when it is coming. At least I still have her blog to tide me over!

5. Victoria Aveyard – Red Queen

I feel like I have been talking about Red Queen and Victoria Aveyard a lot lately; and I know that is strange because I was not all that thrilled with the novel. However, I am still eager to read more of Victoria Aveyard’s work, because I thought her writing style was excellent. I’m still trying to decide if I will be reading the next novel in the series, Glass Sword, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be giving it a try at some point.

6. Marissa Meyer – Cinder

Marissa Meyer is not a recent debut author; Cinder came out in 2012. However, I just discovered her last year, and began The Lunar Chronicles at the beginning of this year. So far, I have only read this first novel, but I adored it and I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the books (something I will be doing quite soon!).

7. Marie Lu – Legend

Marie Lu is another author whose first book is not a recent release, but so far I have only read her debut novel, Legend, after discovering it last year. I was hooked immediately and I soon got a box set of the entire trilogy. I need to get to the next book as soon as possible; I am dying to see what happens in the final two novels!

Sophomore Novels That Are As Good Or Better Than Debuts

1. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

This entire series is (obviously) absolutely fantastic all the way through. The Chamber of Secrets just so happens to be not only one of my favorite books ever, but my favorite of the series; it definitely had to make this list!

2. Suzanne Collins – Catching Fire

This is by far my favorite dystopian trilogy that I have ever read, and I’ve always found it incredibly hard to pick which of the novels is my favorite. Catching Fire was incredible, and is at the very least just as good as The Hunger Games. However, this may potentially be my favorite of the series; it’s just so hard to choose!

3. Brian Selznick – Wonderstruck

This is Brian Selznick’s second full novel and it is equally as good as his first, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. In fact, all three of his novels are absolutely spectacular; each one is a beautiful work of art. He is a very talented writer and artist, and easily makes this list!

Let me know in the comments which debut authors you’ve been enjoying this year and which sophomore novels you are dying to get your hands on!

-Ariana

1Nov2015

November 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy November, everybody!

I absolutely cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by! Sadly, my favorite month of the year has drawn to a close, but these next few months are just as exciting. First of all, we start the build up to the holiday season. I sing in a church choir, so we spend the next two months singing all of my favorite music of the choral season.

November, as I’m sure you all know, is also the start of NaNoWriMo. This is my sixth year doing it, but will be my first year trying to do it while also blogging, so it’ll be interesting to see how this all goes. NaNoWriMo is one of my favorite parts of every year, and I can’t wait to get started on my new novel!

As far as a TBR, I still have a few books from my previous ones that I would like to work on. However, my reading mood has definitely changed a bit, and there are a couple of books that I also need to read and review this month. As always, a TBR for me is more of a helpful suggestion than something set in stone that I really stick to. It works nicely for prioritizing my entirely too massive pile of unread books. So here are some of the books that I am most eager to read/need to get to in the coming weeks!

November TBR:

1. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

I still have yet to read anything by Brandon Sanderson, though the Mistborn trilogy is high on my priority list. Since I have so many books to read right now, I think I would rather hold off on The Final Empire for a little while longer until I get through some of them. However, this novel is a much more manageable size for me currently. I am also just generally very intrigued by the premise of this novel, so I’m eager to see what it’s all about.

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and I finally have it in my possession! I have been hearing such amazing things about this novel, which has just been making me more enthusiastic about reading it. And may I just say, the book itself is absolutely beautiful!

3. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

I read the first book in this series, Jackaby, at the beginning of the year and absolutely loved it! So of course, as soon as I finished, I put this on preorder right away. I’m excited to see where these stories go and to get back into the world of these lovable characters. It should be a fun, quick read and I am definitely hoping to get to this very soon.

Click here to check out my review of Jackaby!

4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This is a book I just discovered this year and have heard nothing but wonderful things about. I got it out of the library a few months back, but didn’t have enough time to get to it. So I recently picked up a copy and I’m definitely hoping to finally get to it this month. It sounds like it will be a sad but extremely good read, and I can’t wait to see what I think of it.

5. Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

This will most likely be my first read of the month. I honestly can’t believe that I haven’t gotten around to this yet. It has been out for at least a month and a half now and I still need to read it. I’ve had it on hold at the library for quite a while and it’s finally available for me to check out, so I’ll probably be getting to this in the next day or so. I’m so excited to see what happens next!

6-8. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale, Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards, and Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith

These are all books that I have recently gotten through Netgalley, so I would like to get them all read and reviewed by the end of the month. I’d particularly like to get those last two done because they come out toward the second half of November. They should all be quick and entertaining reads, and I’m always up for anything Doctor Who related!

Here are some of the books that I have acquired over the last few months as well as my most anticipated releases of November!

September/October Book Haul:

1. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

2. The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

4. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

5. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

6. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale

7. Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards

8. Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith

Anticipated Releases of November:

1. Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales by Justin Richards (November 3^rd)

2. Winter by Marissa Meyer (November 10^th)

3. Warren the 13^th and The All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio (November 24^th)

What are you guys planning on reading this month? What new releases are you most looking forward to? Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

28Oct2015

Top 5 Wednesday – October 28th, 2015

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is your top five Halloween book recommendations. Since this list is for Halloween, I was trying to think up some good ghost stories to put on here. However, as I was picking books for this topic, I was shocked to realize that I haven’t actually read all that many ghost/monster stories. This is insane because I absolutely love a good, creepy and otherworldly tale. So, since I am severely lacking in the ghost story department, I simply picked five generally creepy novels or stories that I’ve read.

I am a huge thriller/horror fan. I have read a lot of mysteries and psychological thrillers, and I love watching any spooky or thriller type movies. Many of the stories I write usually fall somewhere in the realm of horror as well. I’ve never really gotten scared by any books or movies so far, however, these are all novels that definitely sent a shiver down my spine! Though the books on this list do not all involve a supernatural storyline, they are all still perfect for this spooky time of year.

5. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

I read this graphic novel around this time last year and enjoyed it so much. It is a collection of five eerie and enthralling horror stories. Emily Carroll has crafted a wonderful collection of ghostly tales that feel sort of likes myths or legends that people might pass around. The artwork, matching the tone of the stories perfectly, is hauntingly beautiful; out of all the graphic novels I’ve read, this had one of my favorite art styles. Through the Woods was such an enjoyable read, and I would highly recommend giving it a try. These dark and chilling tales will definitely put you in the Halloween mood.

4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I tried to change things up and pick novels for this list that weren’t on my list yesterday, but this is one that I just had to mention again. It is a classic thriller novel, one of the best for all time in my opinion, and is bone-chilling without the use of ghosts and monsters. In fact, stories like this one, where the true monster is human, can make for the most compelling and frightening reads of all.

3. The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe

Basically anything by Edgar Allan Poe makes for a perfect Halloween read. Poe is a master at crafting beautifully written and thoroughly haunting tales that will stay with you long after you read them. My personal favorite stories of his are The Cask of Amontillado, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Tell-Tale Heart.

2. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Back when Coraline first came out, a family member of mine gave it to me as a gift. My mom read it before I did, and it creeped her out so much that she actually hid the book from me. And of course, me being me, I subsequently snuck into her room, found it, and read it anyway without my parents knowing…but that’s beside the point! This is one of the most disturbing and unique books I have ever read, and I absolutely adore it. It is the book that first made me a fan of Neil Gaiman, who has been a huge inspiration to me in my own writing. His stories are quite strange and they are probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think that they are just fantastic and definitely perfect for Halloween!

1. The Shining by Stephen King

What Halloween reads list would be complete without one of the best horror novels of all time? This hair-raising and unsettling horror classic, written by one of the masters of the genre, is an absolute must-read. The Shining is genuinely terrifying, by far the scariest book that I’ve ever read, and it is one of my long-time favorites. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Though I do enjoy the original film as well, I would highly suggest, if you want to watch a production of this novel, watching the miniseries version from the 90’s with Steven Weber. Stephen King played a much bigger role in the making of this adaptation, so it is a lot closer to the actual novel itself.

What are your top favorite Halloween reads? Do you have any scary/spooky novels or short stories that you would recommend? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

27Oct2015

Top 10 Tuesday – October 27th, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I can’t believe we are already reaching the end of October! This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is a Halloween themed freebie; we can make up any Halloween related list that we want. Because I couldn’t decide between two topic ideas, I decided to include the second as a bonus part to this post. The first list is ten fall/Halloween reads that are not necessarily spooky but are still perfect for this time of year. The second part is my top ten favorite creepy book covers.

Part One: Fall/Halloween Reads

1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – I picked this up last fall and it is definitely one of the best novels I have ever read. This novel ended up being absolutely nothing like what I had originally suspected it would be. I picked this to read near Halloween because it seemed like it would be a scary story focusing on ghosts or other supernatural monsters. Instead, it deals with a very different but equally frightening type of monster. It is a very dark and sad but ultimately beautiful story. This is a very surprising, creative, and absolutely gorgeously written novel that I cannot recommend enough.

2. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – This would not be a true Halloween themed list if I did not add at least one Neil Gaiman novel to it! He is one of my favorite authors and really, any of his books could be put on a list such as this; however, this is my personal favorite and the one I would recommend the most. The Ocean at the End of the Lane really had that tone that I always look for in my reads at this time of year. Though I did not find it particularly scary, it’s strange and a bit dark and creepy, and the story is extremely captivating. It’s an incredibly unique tale and reads sort of like a myth or legend, which made it even more intriguing.

3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – As the weather cools and the days grow shorter, there’s nothing like reading a good mystery novel. Gone Girl is an incredibly dark and disturbing story, full of surprising twists and unreliable narration; it’s a picture of insanity with frighteningly realistic characters and scenarios. This may not be a typical Halloween ghost story rooted in the world of the supernatural, but it shows that the natural world can be equally as chilling. Click here for my full, spoiler-free review.

4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie – Of course Agatha Christie has to make the list! And Then There Were None is a story about ten strangers, each with a secret, who are brought together on a private island for a weekend by an anonymous host and are killed off one by one. In this novel, everyone is a suspect. This is not only one of my favorite novels of all time, but one of the best examples of a creepy story, perfect for Halloween, that doesn’t involve the supernatural.

5. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – By this point, I’m sure you are seeing a pattern: here is another one of my all time favorite novels! This story focuses on two young boys whose town is visited by an evil carnival that appears suddenly one night. It brilliantly captures the mood of fall, and the plot fits the Halloween season well with its various oddities and magical realism. This novel is a spectacularly written tale, one that everyone should read at least once in their life; and what better time to read it than the end of October? I would very highly recommend checking out the film as well!

6. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman – Switching gears for a minute, I thought I would throw in one of my favorite, creepy short stories. This is an intriguing story, the ultimate psychological drama. It is told in a journal format, a secret journal kept by a woman whose doctor and husband have forbade her from writing. She is being confined to her room, not permitted to doing anything but sit there, and she begins to imagine a world that’s hiding behind the yellow wallpaper covering her walls. This is such a gripping and eerie story, very fitting for the season.

7. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – I just had to add another Agatha Christie novel to this list because not only is she one of my favorite authors, but also her novels are truly perfect for Halloween. This is a story starring her famous detective, Hercule Poirot, and is probably one of her most well-known and loved works. It is about a train that is stopped one night by a snowdrift, and in the morning, a man is found stabbed in his cabin, the door still locked from the inside. It is a fascinating mystery and one that definitely has a creepy, Halloween mood!

8. 1984 by George Orwell – 1984 portrays a dystopian world that is absolutely terrifying to imagine. This novel is also a bit frightening due to its relevance and connection to society today. Though it is unlikely that we will ever reach the point that the world has reached in this story, there is just the right amount of realism and personal narrative in it to make it something that the reader can connect to and imagine easily.

9. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle – I chose The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes because it’s my favorite so far, however, any of the Sherlock Holmes novels would work. This is one book that may seem a little out of place on this list, but I personally think that fall is a wonderful time of year to be reading these stories. As I’ve already said, it’s the perfect time to be reading a good mystery, and these are some of the best. Full of suspense and intrigue, this is a novel that is wonderful to curl up by the fire with in the cooler months. Click here for my full, spoiler-free review.

10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare – This may seem like another strange one to add to this list, but I feel like this tale has the perfect atmosphere for this time of year. There’s mystery, insanity, murder, revenge, a ghost, everything you could possibly want for a good fall/Halloween read. Plus, it’s one of the best, if not the best, plays of all time.

Part Two: Favorite Covers

Shutter by Courtney Alameda
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
The Diviners by Libba Bray

What are your favorite Halloween reads? Any creepy cover designs you like? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

23Sep2015

Top 5 Wednesday – September 23rd, 2015

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is our top five favorite title fonts on book covers. The design of a cover is extremely important because it is the first impression that a potential reader gets, and is what will inspire them to learn more about the actual novel itself. We may not entirely judge a book by its cover, but it definitely plays a significant role in the book selection process of all readers.

As both a reader and an artist, I have always enjoyed every aspect of a novel, from the cover to the layout to the actual text of the story. I will admit, covers are very important to me and I can get pretty picky when choosing what edition I want to buy. I also happen to be a huge typography nerd, so I love covers with unique and beautiful title fonts.

It was tough to chose, but here are a few of the books that I think have both distinctive and gorgeous title fonts!

The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

The Assassin’s Apprentice/Royal Assassin/Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

Jackaby/Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Cinder/Scarlet/Cress/Winter by Marissa Meyer

What are your favorite book title fonts? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

Find a book for each of your initials.

Count your age along your bookshelf—which book is it?

Pick a book set in your city/state/country.

Pick a book that represents a destination you would like to travel to.

Pick a book that’s your favorite color.

Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest sense of accomplishment when you finish it?

I Tag:

The Rules:

Kayla’s Questions

1. What are you most excited about for the end of the year?

2. What book or book series do you love and would recommend to others?

3. Who are a few of your favorite authors?

4. What is your favorite television series at this time?

5. If you could spend one day with a fictional character, who would it be?

6. Which cover of a book (whether you’ve read it or not) do you absolutely love?

7. Are you currently reading a book? If so, what is it and how are you feeling about it so far?

I Nominate:

My Questions:

5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

3. Dead Rules by Randy Russell

2. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Top 10 Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch

1. Gone Girl

2. Mockingjay (Part One)

3. The Martian

4. Divergent

5. Hugo

Top 10 Book To Movie Adaptations I’ve Seen But Still Need To Read

1. The Book Thief

2. The Hundred-Foot Journey

3. Rebecca

4. Misery

5. A Tale of Two Cities

Authors Whose Sophomore Novels I’m Dying to Read

Sophomore Novels That Are As Good Or Better Than Debuts

November TBR:

1. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

3. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

4. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

5. Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

6-8. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale, Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards, and Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith

September/October Book Haul:

1. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

2. The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

4. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

5. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

6. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale

7. Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards

8. Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith

Anticipated Releases of November:

1. Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales by Justin Richards (November 3rd)

2. Winter by Marissa Meyer (November 10th)

3. Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio (November 24th)

5. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

3. The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe

2. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

1. The Shining by Stephen King

Part One: Fall/Halloween Reads

Part Two: Favorite Covers

1. Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales by Justin Richards (November 3^rd)

2. Winter by Marissa Meyer (November 10^th)

3. Warren the 13^th and The All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio (November 24^th)