Top 5 Wednesday – April 20th, 2016

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 that you’re intimidated by. Though I am an avid reader that will gladly read (almost) anything you hand to me, I get intimidated by books fairly easily. This never prevents me from picking up the books and giving them a go, it just makes me put them off for ages. Most times, my fear is caused by the length of the novel. I’m a relatively slow reader who loves fantasy and sci-fi, which can by a problematic combination, at least for me! Hype surrounding novels can also make me nervous, and since I take forever to get around to popular series, this is a major issue for me as well. And of course, let’s not forget about the potential of massive quantities of feels…

Okay, let’s get into that list! 😀

5. Under the Dome by Stephen King

Two words: Page. Count. 1000+ pages definitely freaks me out, even if it is a book by an author I love. Also, the copy I have to read is my dad’s hardcover edition, which (probably due to the troubles I have lifting it up!) is psyching me out even more. I’m very interested in both this novel and the television series, having heard fantastic things about both. I may have to get a copy on Kindle—that might help…

4. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

I find the entire Mistborn series pretty daunting, but actually less so than the other series I have on this list. This intimidation comes purely from page count. Based on what I know about these novels, I have a feeling that I will not have a difficult time actually getting into the story and the writing. I am determined to get through at least this first book before the end of the year. Now if I can just find the time…

3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Once again, I must address my shame at never having read any Tolkien books or seen any of The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit films. I intend to finally fix the film part this year, as well begin reading the LOTR trilogy, but I definitely feel intimidated. I’m certain that I will love it—I can’t imagine not adoring these stories! But I still feel pressure since these are such well-loved classics. To be honest, I’m also pretty nervous about trying to remember everyone’s names as well!

2. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

All right, so I’m intimidated by this entire series, but I’ll just stick with the first one for now since I haven’t even gotten through that yet! I’ve already started watching the television show (which I know is a bad book nerd move!), and I absolutely love it, so I’m sure that I will enjoy these books. They are definitely worth the time and effort…but that page quantity though. Since I’ll be traveling a bit this summer, I figured that might be a good time to get started. I am going to feel so accomplished when I finally finish this series (or at least what’s been released)!

1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

This is right up my alley in terms of subject matter, but holy page count, Batman! My main concern is that this novel might be hard to get into, which is more likely to discourage me with a book this size. Nevertheless, if everything I have heard about this book is true, it is certainly worth the read!

What are some books that have intimidated you guys? Do we have any in common? Are there any books that you were nervous to pick up but ended up loving? Let me know down in the comments!

-Ariana

13Apr2016

The Versatile Blogger Award #2

Posted in Awards by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by Mariana over at Book is Glee and Becca over at Shih Tzu Book Reviews. Thank you both so much for the nominations! Make sure to stop by and check out both of their blogs.

Click here to check out the first part as well!

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The Rules:

Show the award on your blog.

Thank the person that has nominated you.

Share 7 different facts about yourself.

Nominate a number of blogs of your choice.

Link your nominees and let them know they are nominated.

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Random Facts About Me:

1. I absolutely adore recommending books (not surprisingly!) and buying books for my friends and family. Introducing people to new novels and sharing the joy of reading makes me incredibly happy!

2. I have a secret (not really 😛 ) desire to be a voice actor, particularly in video games.

3. My favorite movie of all time is The Birdcage. No matter how many times I watch this movie, I never get tired of it and it never fails to make me laugh my butt off. It’s also my favorite movie to quote, probably because I’ve basically memorized the entire script at this point.

4. I am a total gamer…not necessarily a good one…but definitely one.

5. I play a huge variety of video games, my favorite kind being open world RPGs like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, but I also enjoy a good adventure/puzzle game now and then. I love the Nancy Drew video games—it is one of my favorite series of all time. My dad got one for me and my mom to play together when I was about eight years old and I’ve been playing them ever since.

6. I never watch anything actually on television anymore—I watch everything on Netflix, Amazon, etc. Because of this, I have completely lost every last bit of tolerance I ever had for commercial breaks.

7. No matter how in denial I am about it, I am not a coordinated human being…

I Nominate:

My nominees can be found at the end of the first part! 🙂

12Apr2016

April 2016 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy April, everyone! I am quite late with my TBR and wrap-up this month—and it’s definitely going to be a bit of a shorter one than usual—but it’s finally here. If you read my update post last week, you’ll know that I had a bit of a difficult March. However, I am back and as quirky (and nerdy) as ever! Things are finally beginning to get back on track, and I am aiming to catch up on reading and blogging as much as possible in April. Thank you guys for all the love and support. Hopefully this month will be much better than the last! 🙂 ❤

April TBR

1. The Masterpiecers by Olivia Wildenstein

This is one of the books I have received for review, and it is what I am currently reading. I’m not too far into it yet, but at this point I’m enjoying it quite a bit. The writing style flows very well and the mystery in the premise has me very interested to see where the story goes. Dark, mysteries are a definite favorite of mine to read, so I’m hoping this plot will continue to remain strong.

2. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I am beyond excited to read it. I’ve been hearing some mixed reviews, but that has not got me any less eager to dive into this novel!

3. The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

This is another book that I was sent for review (thank you, David!). It is a retelling—or a continuation, rather—and a darker sounding one at that, which we all know is one of my favorite types of stories. I’m quite intrigued by the premise and I am really looking forward to seeing where he takes the idea. This should hopefully be my next read, in fact.

I will also be continuing to read The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates and The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Read in March

Not surprisingly, this was a bit of a rough reading month, but I did manage to get a few books finished.

1. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick – This was my first experience with Matthew Quick’s work and I’ll say it was definitely a solid one. It was a pretty enjoyable read overall, and it’s got me looking forward to reading his other novels. Full review coming soon!

2. The Haters by Jesse Andrews – I’m running a bit behind on my review for this book because I’m still trying to get my thoughts about it in order. It’s one of those books where I’m still not entirely sure how I felt about it and I need to let my brain do a bit more processing. Full review coming soon!

Anticipated Releases of April

Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell by Liane Shaw (April 5^th, 2016)
Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey (April 19^th, 2016)

What books do you want to read in April? Are you looking forward to any new releases this month? Let me know in the comments! 😀

-Ariana

6Apr2016

The Reader Problems Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged to do the Reader Problems Tag by two lovely ladies—Heather from The Sassy Book Geek and Loreva from La Book Dreamer. They are both fantastic book bloggers so please make sure to swing by and check out their blogs!

1. You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

Heh…it’s getting a bit too close to that for comfort… 😛 When it comes to deciding what to read, no matter what size my TBR, it never really becomes any harder or easier. I am, through and through, a mood reader. And though I can get kind of overwhelmed by a massive TBR, I always go with my heart and read whatever is calling to me in the moment.

2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

I’m definitely committed. I have the hardest time stopping in the middle of books or series, even if I’m not really enjoying them. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of books I’ve left unfinished in my life so far. Typically, once I start reading a story, I’m in it for the long haul, no matter how painful it gets!

3. The end of the year is coming and you’re so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and how?

Yeah, that’s pretty much how it goes for me every year! I always try to catch up though. I know it’s just a personal challenge, but I absolutely refuse to give up on it. I usually catch up by reading some of the shorter or easier reads on my TBR. I’ll do some middle grade novels, some books under 300 pages. Short story collections are generally pretty good for this as well.

4. The covers of a series you love do. not. match. How do you cope?

I don’t.

Just kidding! Despite the fact that I am incredibly particular about the editions I get and the covers of series matching, I actually don’t go to pieces over this. It is extremely annoying, but in the end, when it comes to good books, I don’t really care what the covers look like—the only thing I care about is what’s on the inside.

5. Every one and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?

A lot of my friends and family are fellow book nerds, and we tend to share opinions about books most of the time. My best friend is definitely my go-to person for bonding over shared feelings about books. I’d also look to my blog or Goodreads—I can usually find someone to rant…I mean…calmly discuss with. 😀

6. You’re reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

I actually very rarely cry during books, so I’m not quite sure how I would cope with this situation if it happened! To be honest, I know I would probably be slightly embarrassed about it, but I think I’d just go ahead and cry. I absolutely hate crying in front of people, but if it happened in front of a bunch of strangers, I don’t think I’d really care. I am going to own those bookish feels no matter where I am!

7. A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?!?!?!

This is a very common problem for me—I have the worst memory! I’d usually prefer to re-read the book, but I don’t always have the time for that. Typically, I’ll remain calm and find a synopsis somewhere online. But on the inside…cry in frustration! Why does my brain only have room for pointless facts that I’ll never need to know and song lyrics?! 😛

8. Reading ADD. You’ve picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

Unfortunately, this has happened to me a lot lately. To be honest, I’m pretty terrible at getting out of reading slumps—I’ll just try my best to push through them. Sometimes picking up an old favorite can get me back in action, or reading a particularly fast-paced novel. Graphic novels work occasionally. Definitely let me know if you guys have any suggestions. I really need some tips!

9. There are so many new books coming out that you’re dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

I’m actually surprisingly restrained when it comes to buying new releases—I tend to get a lot of them out of the library instead. Usually, I’ll only buy books that I am certain I’ll want in my permanent collection or ones that aren’t available at my library. Just because I’m dying to read a book does not mean I’m going to enjoy it, so many times I prefer waiting to see if I like it before spending the money.

10. After you’ve bought the new books you can’t wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

Haha umm…well…*shuffles away awkwardly*

I tag everyone! If you do this tag or have done it, make sure to link it in the comments so I can come check out your post. 🙂

22Mar2016

Top 10 Tuesday – March 22nd, 2016

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!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is the top ten books you really love but feel like you haven’t talked about enough or in a while. It was actually a surprisingly tricky topic to come up with ten books for—I tend to fangirl over my favorite books quite often on here. However, I did finally manage to put together a list of my less fangirled over favorites! 😀

Also, on a personal side note, I apologize for slow replies to comments and posts in the past few weeks. I haven’t been feeling quite up to snuff lately and that’s caused me to get a bit behind on everything. I promise, I will be catching up very soon! ❤

1. Aimless Love by Billy Collins – Okay, so this isn’t technically a novel exactly—it’s a collection of poems. But this is by far one of my favorite reads in the last few years. Billy Collins is an incredible writer and has created so many stunning pieces. His poems are deceptively simple, each one packed with a surprising amount of meaning. This is a particularly beautiful collection and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

2. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – One of my childhood favorites. My mom loves this as well, and I remember her giving it to me to read in elementary school, around the same time she gave me the Narnia series. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I read this book when I was little—I couldn’t get enough of it. This is one of many old favorites of mine that I haven’t read in ages, so I’m definitely going to have to have a reread nostalgia-fest at some point!

3. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – Back when I was a kid, I said the most horrifying words ever: I hate science fiction books! …Let us pause to feel pity for the hopelessly naïve young Ari. I am (obviously) a most massive sci-fi fan now, as well as a huge Ray Bradbury fan, and this is a novel that I credit for both. On a side note, there is also a fantastic movie adaptation of this that I would highly recommend as well.

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – This is honestly one of the most beautiful novels I have ever come across. An incredibly thought-provoking read, it deals with important topics and proved to be very eye-opening. On top of that, Khaled Hosseini’s writing is stellar, and this novel quickly made him one of my favorite authors.

5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – I have totally mentioned this before, but it is one of my all-time favorite classics by one of my all-time favorite authors, so it deserves another mention. I’ve come to the realization that there are some books (mainly classics) that I love so much (*ahem*To Kill a Mockingbird*ahem*) that I actually find them genuinely difficult to talk about it depth because I feel that I can’t possibly do my love of them justice. This is most definitely one of those books.

6. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett – I had to read this one summer for class back in high school and ended up completely falling in love with it. This is an engrossing story about the bonds between humans and how people who are very different can be brought together in the most unexpected of ways. I have not yet had a chance to read any more of Ann Patchett’s work, but I definitely intend to some time soon.

7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – Another childhood favorite—both the book and the movies. I completely adore this novel and have so many fond memories of reading this beautiful story over the years. When I was little, I always wished I could find a secret garden of my own. And this definitely contributed to my love of old keys. This is another one I’m going to have to add to my reread nostalgia-fest list!

8. The Marvels by Brian Selznick – I have spoken about this novel before since I do have a review up on here about it, but I think it definitely deserves another mention. This was just a lovely and beautiful read (both the text and the pictures) with a deep and meaningful message. Though I was already a huge fan of Brian Selznick’s work, I enjoyed this even more than I had expected.

9. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams – Though I actually have never mentioned this one on here before, something tells me that you all know me well enough by now to not be at all shocked. The plot is brilliant, the characters are incredibly lovable, the humor is witty. Everything about this book is fantastic, especially to a nerd such as myself! I also cannot recommend the movie adaptation of this book highly enough—one of my all-time favorites since I was a little kid!

10. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston – This was another school book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a very emotional, bittersweet, but very rewarding read. A stunning depiction of braving through the ups and downs of life, it is a perfect mix of heartbreaking and uplifting moments. This is yet another novel on this list that I would also highly recommend the movie adaptation of as well.

What are some books that you guys love and can never get tired of talking about? Please gush about them in the comments! 😀

-Ariana

15Mar2016

Top 10 Tuesday – March 15th, 2016

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is the top ten books on your spring TBR. As always, the gigantic general TBR that I have makes this a very easy list to come up with books for! I’ve been picking up a lot of new books lately, so this spring I’d really like to focus a bit more on some of the novels I’ve had sitting on my TBR for a while as well.

Let’s do this spring thing! 😀 (yes…I’m lame 😛 )

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab – I read my first V.E. Schwab novel—Vicious—at the end of last year, and since then, I have been dying to read more of her work. This trilogy is the most appealing to me right now as I’m really in the mood for some magic and parallel worlds. I absolutely can’t wait to dive into the story—and to get more awesome V.E. Schwab-ness in my life!

2. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn – My explanation for this choice can be summed up in two words—Gillian Flynn. The only reason I have been putting this one off is due to the fact that I want to make sure I’m reading it during a time where I can give it 110% of my attention. Now that I have emerged from my slumpishness at the beginning of the year, I’m ready to devour the crap out of this novel! Also, I’m fairly certain Gillian Flynn is my spirit animal. Just saying… 🙂

3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness – I just wrote a review for A Monster Calls last week, and now I’ve got a massive urge to read more Patrick Ness. Back when I read A Monster Calls for the first time, I adored it so much that I immediately went out and bought almost every Patrick Ness novel in existence, which included the entire Chaos Walking trilogy. I’m hoping I can finish the entire thing before the end of the year, so it’s about time I get on it! On a side note, I also partially blame Heather from The Sassy Book Geek for reminding me the other day that I still need to read this trilogy! 😛

4. More Than This by Patrick Ness – Speaking of Patrick Ness… Look, sometimes you just need to go on a Patrick Ness binge, you know?

5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I picked up a copy of this novel last year right when it came out (and when I saw those black pages, to be completely honest!). Since then, I have heard nothing but fantastic things about it, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what I think. I’ve also had Leigh Bardugo’s books on my radar for quite a while now, and this series definitely seems the most like my type of story. It sounds absolutely awesome!

6. Beastly Bones by William Ritter – I read and really loved Jackaby at the beginning of last year, so I’m excited to continue on with these books. This series is hilarious, creative, and honestly just plain fun—it should hopefully be a nice, chill read, which is something I’ve been really needing lately. On top of that, the next book in the series is coming out this summer, so I need to catch up ASAP!

7. Doctor Who: Borrowed Time by Naomi Alderman – A bit of a random choice, yes, but we all know about my love (*cough*obsession*cough*) of everything Doctor Who. There are a number of these novels on my TBR at the moment and I want to start making my way through them. They are nice for a entertaining, quick read each month, and this is the one I’m most in the mood to read next. Also…Doctor Who… ❤

8. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton – This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and is going to be one of the next books I read. Yes, I know I said at the beginning of this post that I’ve been getting too distracted by new releases lately, but I just can’t wait for this one! And…you know…one more can’t hurt, right? We’ll just keep this between us… 😛

9. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken – Another one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and a book I’ve had on my TBR since January. I’ve had to keep putting it off each month, so I’m determined to finally get to it soon. Last week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic also made me realize that, though I completely love stories about time travel, I’ve not actually read all that many. Clearly, this is something I need to fix, and what better way to get started?

10. Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey – I just recently discovered this one and am definitely intrigued. It sounds like it might be a fun read, but I will say, I am slightly iffy about it because it sounds like it will be a little more focused on romance than my typical reads. I feel like this might be a novel that I’m either really going to love or just not be able to get into, but I’m interested to see what I think!

What are some of the books on your spring TBR? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

13Mar2016

The Inside Out Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I’m embarrassed to say, I’ve actually not yet watched this movie even though I’ve been wanting to for ages. I never got a chance to see it while it was in theaters, and I still haven’t gotten around to it. I’m definitely going to have to get on that now! I was tagged to do the Inside Out Book Tag by Michelle from Book Adventures. Thank you so much for the tag, Michelle! Please make sure to stop by and check out her blog—she is a great book blogger. 😀

Joy – A book that brings you joy.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Is anyone surprised at this point? …No? I’m definitely becoming quite predictable, but how could I not pick my favorite book of all time for this one? This is a sad story in many ways, but it is extremely heartwarming as well. Both the message and the actual text itself are truly beautiful. It also brings me joy due to the massive impact that it has had on my life. This novel, and its film for that matter, have inspired me in countless ways—more than I could have ever imagined. It makes me feel so good to read this story, no matter how many times I do so.

Sadness – A book that made you sad.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I’m definitely finding that the older I get, the more frequently I cry during books and movies. However, for the longest time I rarely ever did. A Monster Calls was one of the first novels to really make me cry…and oh boy did I cry during this story. This is an incredibly sad but very beautiful and rewarding read—I cannot recommend it highly enough if you have not yet picked it up. Click here to read my full review of A Monster Calls!

Fear – A book that has truly scared you.

The Shining by Stephen King

I’m going to have to agree with Michelle on this one and say The Shining. Even though I tend to think of myself as being super jumpy, I have never actually been scared by any books, movies, video games, etc. Despite that, I still absolutely love anything that falls into the thriller or horror categories, so my library of “scary” books is quite large. The Shining has come the closest by far to actually frightening me. It is an intriguing and incredibly chilling story that I highly recommend—Stephen King is an absolute master of the horror genre.

Disgust – A book that disgusted you.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

I can’t really think of any novels that I’ve read that have made me feel disgusted. So I’m going to have to fudge this one a little bit and choose a novel I have never—and absolutely will never—read. I’ve heard people read little excerpts from this series and I just don’t think I could ever stomach any part of this story.

Anger – A book that makes you angry.

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

This book…just…no. I’ve talked before about my tendency to go into the library and pick up books at random, and how sometimes I have found some new favorites. This was not one of those times. The idea of the plot could have made a fantastic story, but instead it was just a giant mess of clichés and annoying characters. The ending, which had the potential to be slightly redeeming for the plot as a whole, turned out to be just as predictable as the rest of the novel. On top of this, the writing itself felt as if it had never even been edited, and the author frequently used the same descriptions and phrases repeatedly within, at most, a page of each other. It was quite a frustrating read to say the least.

I Tag:

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Umbreen @ Read by Umbreen

Bree @ The Literary Hellion

T.K. @ Read It or Not Reviews

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Trisha @ The Bookgasm

4Mar2016

Top 5 Anticipated Releases of Spring 2016

Posted in Miscellaneous by TheQuirkyBookNerd

The weather is (slowly) beginning to get warmer and spring is rapidly approaching. Winter here has actually not been all that intense this year, but I am definitely still looking forward to nicer temperatures. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy snow to some extent, but one massive storm is enough for me! 😛

This season brings new life into both the outside world and the book world—and there is a pile of fantastic looking releases coming over these next few months. I am particularly looking forward to this book release season. Excitingly enough, I have ARC copies of a number of new releases, so expect to see some early (spoiler-free!) reviews up on here in the coming weeks! 😀

Here are the top five spring releases that I am particularly looking forward to getting my hands on!

1. Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey (April, 19^th, 2016)

Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions…and Juliana herself.

2. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (May 3^rd, 2016)

How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favour.

But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go…an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

3. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (May 10^th, 2016)

Nanette O’Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hard-working student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper—the mysterious, out-of-print cult-classic—the rebel within Nanette awakens.

As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that sometimes rebellion comes at a high price.

A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

4. Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black (May 17^th, 2016)

Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town crossroads, it’s her runaway sister’s soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blue’s voice—inherited from her musically gifted mother—in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.

Armed with her mother’s guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical boots, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself to finding family in unexpected places.

In Devil and the Bluebird, Jennifer Mason-Black delivers a heart-wrenching depiction of loss and hope.

5. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (June 7^th, 2016)

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from acclaimed author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books, This Savage Song is a must-have for fans of Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater, and Laini Taylor.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives. In This Savage Song, Victoria Schwab creates a gritty, seething metropolis, one worthy of being compared to Gotham and to the four versions of London in her critically acclaimed fantasy for adults, A Darker Shade of Magic. Her heroes will face monsters intent on destroying them from every side—including the monsters within.

What new releases are you most looking forward to this spring? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

-Ariana

3Mar2016

March 2016 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy March, everyone!

My second favorite season of the year is on its way, and I am really starting to look forward to the warmer weather! I’m still catching up on a few reads, so this month’s TBR is mainly going to consist of review copies that I need to work on. Also, I am hoping to begin getting reviews out a bit more frequently this month. I like writing a good variety of posts, and I feel like I want to be getting reviews out slightly more often than I have been. I tend to be too much of a perfectionist when it comes to my reviews (and I write way too much to begin with!), so that’s definitely been slowing me down quite a lot. My goal is to start trying to get out about two each week, so we’ll see how that ends up going! 🙂

March TBR

1. Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black

The synopsis for this novel has me extremely intrigued. It promises to have a mix of both fantasy and realism, which is a style that I always love. On top of that, there is going to be a musical element to it—that completely sells me on this! It seems like it will be an emotional read but an incredibly unique one, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what it’s all about.

2. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

I am so incredibly excited about reading this novel! In fact, I’ve already started it because I just couldn’t wait any longer, so this should be my first completed read for the month. I’ve not actually read a novel by Matthew Quick yet, though I have had a few on my TBR for a long time now. I can’t wait to finally give his work a go!

3. These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

This is the one novel on this list that isn’t an ARC copy, but it is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Since it isn’t a review copy, it’s not a top priority on my TBR, but I am still really hoping I’ll be able to get to it this month. I’m too excited to wait much longer!

4. The Haters by Jesse Andrews

As well as not having read any of Matthew Quick’s novels yet, I’ve also not yet read Jesse Andrew’s other novel—Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl—yet, though I have been meaning to for a while. I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions about his work, specifically the humor that he uses in his stories, so I’m really interested to see where my opinion falls.

5. The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates

This is one final ARC that I need to review soon. I don’t intend to read the entire book this month, but I would like to get started reading some of these stories over the course of the next few weeks. I prefer reading collections of short stories in small bursts anyway—I think it’s more fun to spread them out as you read other novels, rather than rush through them all in one go!

Read in February

I’m still in the process of dealing with these migraines I’ve been getting, so my reading and reviewing pace is not quite up to snuff just yet. I definitely hope to pick up my normal speed again soon, as I begin to feel better. However, while this was a rather slow reading month for me, it was overall enjoyable, so I’m feeling good about it!

1. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer – It’s taken me forever, but I’ve finally started to continue on with this series and it’s so nice to dive back into this world. Full review coming soon!

2. Camp Midnight by Steven T. Seagle and Jason Katzenstein – I was in the mood for a new graphic novel this month. This one was an ARC that had been on my reading list for a little while, so I decided to give it a go—and I absolutely loved it! This was a quick, fun, and satisfying read with some wonderful artwork to boot. Click here to read my full review.

3. The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee – This was a novel that I had heard very little about, and picked up randomly a few months back. As I expected, it was an extremely unique, fantastical, and intriguing story. I will definitely be posting a more in depth review very soon! I’m looking forward to discussing this one.

4. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale – If you haven’t yet been able to tell, I love reading Doctor Who novels! This was another ARC that I had on my reading list for the month. There will be a full review of this coming very soon.

5. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle – I (finally) began reading this at the end of the month, so it is technically rolling over onto my March TBR. As I said earlier, I like to take my time with short story collections, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing with this one. But, whenever I do complete it, you can be certain that there will be a full (probably very fangirly) review! 😀

February Book Haul

Okay, so I may have gone mildly overboard with my book buying this month…But in my defense, I haven’t been buying all that many books lately. Also a few of these are ARCs as well…

Nope, still can’t justify this. I went overboard…but I’m a happy little book nerd. 😀 ❤

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

The Haters by Jesse Andrews (ARC)

Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black (ARC)

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Soulless by Gail Carriger

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (ARC)

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

All right, no more book buying for me for a little while… 😛

What books do you have on your TBR for March? Are you looking forward to any new releases this month? Do any of you guys need to join me in my book buying ban? Let me know in the comments! 😀

-Ariana

28Feb2016

The Sunshine Blogger Award #2

Posted in Awards by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by my lovely and awesometastic blogger friend Heather from The Sassy Book Geek. Thank you so much for the nomination, Heather! Heather is a fantastic book blogger, so please make sure you head over and check out her blog! 😀

Click here to check out part 1 with questions from Sarah!

____________________________________________________________________

The Rules:

-Thank whoever nominated you.

-Answer the questions they gave you.

-Pick five bloggers to answer your questions.

____________________________________________________________________

Heather’s Questions:

1. If you could put together a team of book characters to survive the zombie apocalypse with, who would you pick?

Let me just start off by saying my team is going to have to carry me during this because I would be absolutely useless in a zombie apocalypse! And now for my team! First of all, we’ve got to have Katniss. She’ll be great for shooting zombies in the head and potentially gathering food for our survival. Next, Sherlock Holmes. This might seem like a random choice, but hear me out. He is the master of observation and deduction, so he would be fantastic for his intelligence. And he could also prevent the rest of us from doing anything stupid!

Of course, I have to add in Watson. Not only can we not break up the duo, but we will also have a doctor. Finally, I would take Mitch from Vicious because he is just completely badass, and I think he would be invaluable in an apocalyptic situation! I was kind of tempted to add Victor and Sydney to this list as well, but that might be a little too OP. Anyway, no matter what, as long as I’m on the team…

2. Do you prefer to borrow books or buy them and why?

I know that, for the sake of my wallet and the limited space in my house, I should probably prefer to borrow books. And while I do frequent the library, I much prefer buying books. Part of it is a book nerd thing and part is just a weird Ari thing. I love the idea of amassing a huge personal library, and collecting books is just as much a hobby for me as reading them. And…now the weird Ari thing (to be honest, I’m just a weird Ari thing! 😛 ). I may or may not be a biiiittt of a germaphobe. So it makes me feel more comfortable having my own copies, though borrowing from friends and family is totally fine.

3. Would you rather read inside or outside?

I do love reading outside, particularly when it’s a nice day or when I’m at the beach. However, I would typically rather read inside. I can usually get more comfortable, and I get distracted less easily. Usually, I can keep up reading longer if I’m cozy inside—and then I’ll do it all day! …Actually, maybe I should try getting outside more often… 😛

4. Do you always read the book before seeing the movie adaptation?

Um…yeah, totally! *laughs nervously*…

Okay, so I don’t always read the book first. I know, I know. Bad book nerd! I do try my best, and I definitely prefer reading the book before seeing the movie whenever possible. But occasionally my urge to see the movie (especially when it’s in theaters) gets the better of me!

5. Have you ever liked a movie more than the book, if so which one(s)?

That is an incredibly rare occurrence for me—so much so that I can only think of one off the top of my head: Prince Caspian. The newer version. I have a handful of movies that I think are almost just as good as the books, but I typically will always say the book is better. Except Prince Caspian. Don’t get me wrong, I completely adore the entire Narnia series, but this is by far the weakest novel of all of them. In my opinion, it just ended up translating a bit better on screen than in text.

6. Coffee or tea?

This is a hard one because I absolutely love both. I think I’m going to have to go with tea because I do tend to drink that slightly more often. Especially lately (I’ve been on a bit of a tea binge!). Tea is so relaxing—something I’ve been needing a lot recently—and it goes perfectly with book reading. ❤

7. What is your most anticipated release for 2016?

Some of my previous most anticipated releases have already come out, such as A Gathering of Shadows and These Vicious Masks, so now I would have to say either Heartless by Marissa Meyer (because retellings) or This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (because Victoria Schwab). It is pretty much impossible for me to decide between the two because I am beyond excited to get my hands on both of them!

I Nominate:

Jen @ J.N. Cahill

DrAwkto @ The Inky Awkto

Angela @ The Geeky Auror

Victoria @ The Petite Book Blogger

Cinderzenablogs

My Questions:

1. If you could travel to any period in time, where would you go and why?

2. What is your favorite under-hyped novel?

3. What type of music do you enjoy listening to the most?

4. What are three books you absolutely refuse to read?

5. Do you prefer series or standalones?

6. What are your favorite and least favorite book to movie adaptations?

7. What is one food you never get tired of eating?

8. What are the most difficult and most rewarding things about blogging for you?

5. Under the Dome by Stephen King

4. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Rules:

Random Facts About Me:

I Nominate:

April TBR

1. The Masterpiecers by Olivia Wildenstein

2. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

3. The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

Read in March

Anticipated Releases of April

1. You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

3. The end of the year is coming and you’re so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and how?

4. The covers of a series you love do. not. match. How do you cope?

5. Every one and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?

6. You’re reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

7. A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?!?!?!

8. Reading ADD. You’ve picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

9. There are so many new books coming out that you’re dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

10. After you’ve bought the new books you can’t wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

Joy – A book that brings you joy.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Sadness – A book that made you sad.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Fear – A book that has truly scared you.

The Shining by Stephen King

Disgust – A book that disgusted you.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Anger – A book that makes you angry.

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

I Tag:

1. Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey (April, 19th, 2016)

2. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (May 3rd, 2016)

3. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (May 10th, 2016)

4. Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black (May 17th, 2016)

5. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (June 7th, 2016)

March TBR

1. Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black

2. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

3. These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

4. The Haters by Jesse Andrews

5. The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates

Read in February

February Book Haul

The Rules:

Heather’s Questions:

1. If you could put together a team of book characters to survive the zombie apocalypse with, who would you pick?

2. Do you prefer to borrow books or buy them and why?

3. Would you rather read inside or outside?

4. Do you always read the book before seeing the movie adaptation?

5. Have you ever liked a movie more than the book, if so which one(s)?

6. Coffee or tea?

7. What is your most anticipated release for 2016?

My Questions:

1. Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Anstey (April, 19^th, 2016)

2. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (May 3^rd, 2016)

3. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick (May 10^th, 2016)

4. Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black (May 17^th, 2016)

5. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (June 7^th, 2016)