Top 10 Tuesday – November 17th, 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!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is the top ten quotes you loved from books you read in the past year or so. I am so excited about this topic because I absolutely love sharing book quotes and hearing the favorites of other book lovers. Book quotes can be beautiful, powerful, or just plain hilarious! They can touch our lives, provide us with something we need in that moment, whether that is inspiration, hope, or a smile. Whatever they are, it’s a wonderful way to get a brief glimpse at an author’s work and a reader’s taste in literature, and perhaps discover something new.

Brief side note: Today’s post is going to be a bit of a shorter one as my laptop is dead and I am currently losing my battle with the blog app. Also, if anything is a bit wonky with this post, that’s probably why! Things should be back to normal soon; thank you for bearing with me! 🙂

Here are my top favorite quotes from books I’ve recently read!

1. “Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.” ― Marissa Meyer, Cinder

2. “I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane

3. “That the battles are usually in her head does not lessen the bravery of it. The hardest ones always are.” ― William Ritter, Jackaby

4. “Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.” ― Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

5. “I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone’s hand.” ― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

6. “Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

7. “Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

8. “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” ― Lois Lowry, The Giver

9. “Reality should follow through on what I think it is going to do.” ― Allie Brosh, Hyperbole and a Half

10. “Simply put: time is fluid. The faster your world spins out of control, the slower time crawls. The more time you need, the less you’re sure to get. It’s all relative.” ― Shannon Lee Alexander, Love and Other Unknown Variables

And an honorable mention:

“I had tasted cake and there was no going back. My tiny body had morphed into a writhing mass of pure tenacity encased in a layer of desperation. I would eat all of the cake or I would evaporate from the sheer power of my desire to eat it…No one could tell me not to eat an entire cake—not my mom, not Santa, not God—no one. It was my cake and everyone else could go fuck themselves.” ― Allie Brosh, Hyperbole and a Half

What are some of your recent favorite book quotes? I would absolutely love to hear them! Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

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

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

4Nov2015

Top 5 Wednesday – November 4th, 2015

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is your top five favorite series novellas. I have read a few series novellas, enough to create this list. However, I am afraid that there isn’t going to be a whole lot of variety in series or author because many of them are from the same one, namely Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles. I absolutely love short stories, and I am definitely a huge fan of series novellas in general. I do have others I intend to read at some point, but I have not begun any of those series yet. In the meantime, here are my top five favorites so far!

5. The Queen’s Army by Marissa Meyer

This is the third series novella that Marissa Meyer wrote for The Lunar Chronicles, and it falls between the first novel, Cinder, and second novel, Scarlet. It functions as a bit of a bridge story and prequel to Scarlet, and introduces one of the new main characters of that novel.

I read this recently since I am preparing to jump into Scarlet very soon and, though this is my least favorite of the novellas so far, I still really loved reading it. It is a very short read but sufficiently captivating and intense, and it gives great insight into both this new character and the inner workings of the Lunars that we have not previously seen. I am even more excited about reading the next novel and seeing where these plot points lead!

4. The Map by William Ritter

This is the first series novella that William Ritter wrote for the Jackaby series and it falls between the first and second novels. The Map is a standalone adventure starring the main characters from the series. It tells the tale of what happens when Jackaby plans a celebration for his assistant, Abigail Rook’s, birthday.

I really enjoyed this novella; it was such a fun read and wonderful to have while I was eagerly awaiting the next full novel. It was lovely to be back in this world with these loveable characters and to follow them on another one of their wacky exploits. This was just as hilarious and entertaining as the full novels themselves, and reading it made me all the more excited about Beastly Bones!

3. Glitches by Marissa Meyer

This is the first series novella that Marissa Meyer wrote for The Lunar Chronicles and is the prequel to the first novel, Cinder. It was actually my first experience with her writing, as I decided to read it prior to reading Cinder; and I’m glad that I did.

Though Cinder would still have been enjoyable if I had not read this first, this prequel offers much more insight into Cinder’s past and fills in some of the gaps in that area that are present in the novel. It also gives you a chance to connect with her before diving into the main action of the plot, and I found that this made me love her as a character even more. On top of all that, I completely fell in love with Marissa Meyer’s writing style, which made me all the more excited to dive into the series. This is a great prequel story and I would highly recommend it if you are planning on starting The Lunar Chronicles or already have and have not read this novella yet!

2. Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

Gilded Ashes is a Cinderella retelling that takes place in the same world as Rosamund Hodge’s first novel, Cruel Beauty. It is a standalone story and can be read without any knowledge about her other novel. Reading this was my first experience with her work and I was quite impressed.

This was very well written, and a surprisingly detailed story for the length that it was. I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel about it, as I tend to be fairly picky with retellings, but I ended up really loving it. There was just the right balance of sadness, heart-warming moments, and dark twists, and I thought it was a great reimagining of Cinderella. Along with that, I absolutely loved Rosamund Hodge’s writing style and I am looking forward to reading her full novels!

1. The Little Android by Marissa Meyer

This is technically the second series novella in The Lunar Chronicles, though it doesn’t have much to do with the actual series itself; it is more of a standalone. As the title suggests, it is essentially a retelling of The Little Mermaid (the original tale, not the Disney version) with an android twist.

This story was absolutely fantastic! It is incredibly detailed and well rounded for the short amount of pages that it consists of. It is adorable and emotional and just a beautiful rendition of this classic tale. I would very highly recommend giving this a read even if you haven’t read the other books in the series, particularly if you are a fan of retellings.

What are your top five favorite series novellas? Which ones would you recommend the most? Let me know in the comments!

-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

30Oct2015

The Halloween Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy day before Halloween, everybody! Michelle over at Book Adventures just created The Halloween Book Tag and tagged me to do it. Thank you so much for the tag! If you haven’t seen Michelle’s blog yet, make sure to head on over and check it out!

Favorite scary must read for Halloween

The Shining by Stephen King – I have to agree with Michelle in her choice for this question and also say The Shining. It was also my top pick for my list of five Halloween must reads. This is one of the scariest books I have ever read, and I don’t scare easily. It is a horror classic by one of the masters of the genre, and a novel that everyone should give a try at least once in their lives, particularly if they are fans of Halloween.

Scariest book cover, like ever…

Shutter by Courtney Alameda – I’ve not actually read this book and I don’t know much about it, but this cover is freaky! It totally creeps me out every time I see it, but it’s also pretty awesome because I like creepy stories. I definitely think I will have to look into reading this novel; see if it’s as scary as the cover.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman – This novel I have actually read and I can say that it really is as creepy as its cover. Coraline is actually another novel I would say is one of my favorite scary must reads for Halloween. This is a weird and somewhat disturbing story, and it is absolutely fantastic!

If you could pick any author to go trick or treating with, who would you pick?

I would love to go trick or treating with both Ransom Riggs and Tahereh Mafi. They both individually seem as if they are very kind people and like they would be fun to hang out with; and together, they are absolutely hilarious. It would be the most entertaining evening ever!

If you could dress up as any bookish character for Halloween, who would you be?

If I could dress up as any book character, I would probably pick Sherlock Holmes, as he is one of my all time favorites. Who wouldn’t want to pretend to be the greatest detective ever? I know I’m not a guy, but that’s fine; I think I could pull it off! Hermione would be another choice, but I actually already have dressed up as her for Halloween once when I was younger.

If you could find anything, from any book, in your trick or treat stash, what would you hope to find?

I would love to find the invisibility cloak in my trick or treat stash. This was always one of my favorite magical items from the Harry Potter world and I wish I could have my own. It might be kind of fun to sneak around and go exploring while under it, or to use when I want privacy. I could just hide under there while I read or write; it would be awesome. And I would totally use it strictly for good, and not to mess with anyone and make them think they were being haunted…no, I’d never do that… 🙂

In what fictional world would you like to go trick or treating?

I think I would like to go trick or treating in Narnia. It seems like it would be a place that is full of sumptuous food and delicious treats, so you could probably collect a pretty amazing haul there. Plus I just really want to go to Narnia!

What book villain would you not like to meet alone in a dark alley on Halloween?

I feel like this might be an obvious choice for a lot of people, but I would have to say Voldemort. First of all, he is an extremely evil and powerful wizard and, as a muggle, I would have absolutely no way of defending myself against him if he attacked. Also, he’s just totally creepy-looking. The whole “no nose” thing has always completely freaked me out, and I would not like to see that up close. However, if you’d like to send me a slightly younger version, I wouldn’t mind that quite as much…a little bit of eye candy while I’m running for my life…

Would you rather dress up as a vampire, zombie, werewolf, or a shadowhunter?

I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of any of these creatures, and I know absolutely nothing about shadowhunters because I’ve never read the novels. Zombies are my favorite, but I don’t think I would like to dress up as one. If I were to pick one to dress up as, I would probably choose vampire. I feel like, costume-wise, this would be more my style, and I guess I do like the idea of the more classic vampire.

Pick a candy (just one) from Harry Potter that you would love to find in your stash?

If I had to pick, I would definitely choose chocolate frogs. To be honest, the idea of them is a little creepy, since they actually move. But I think, if you can get past that, that they would be delicious. I also absolutely love the cards that come with them; they are so awesome. Despite the fact that I always have found them a bit weird, they are one of my favorite candies from the series, so I’d love to find one in my stash. And because…chocolate…

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

I have somehow already managed to mention in a post that I have a major addiction to Kit-Kats! I love Kit-Kats. They are my ultimate Halloween (or any time of year really) weakness!

I Tag:

Jen @ J.N. Cahill

Zezee @ Zezee with Books

Ava @ Bookishnessandtea

Paige @ Page by Paige

Kayla @ Bookedsolid1989

Bookloversblog

Lucía @ Making Days Better

And anyone else who wants to do it! 🙂

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

19Oct2015

The Pastry Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged by the awesome Jesse over at Books at Dawn. Thank you so much for tagging me! He’s a fantastic book blogger, so definitely head over there and check him out.

As an avid viewer of The Great British Bake Off, I am not only incredibly excited to do this tag, but also happy to say that I know what most of these pastries are! I have a feeling I may be quite hungry after completing this however…

Croissant: Name a popular book or series that everyone (including you) loves.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

This is one of my all-time favorite series; it helped me discover my love of reading and my passion for writing as well. I feel like this is definitely a bit of an obvious choice, but come on! It’s Harry Potter! Who doesn’t love this series? Okay, I’m sure there are some people, but it is undeniably very widely loved and has touched many lives.

Side note: I used a picture of The Chamber of Secrets here because, though I definitely seem to be in the minority on this from what I’ve seen, this is my favorite book of the series! What’s your favorite?

Macaron: Name a book that was hard to get through but worth it at the end.

1984 by George Orwell

This is one of my favorite novels, but it was surprisingly difficult for me to get through due to the writing style. I have always been able to read through the writing of Shakespeare with ease, and yet Orwell’s far more modern writing style was oddly tricky for me. Don’t get me wrong, his prose is beautiful, but for some reason it didn’t click quite as well with me as some other authors’ work has. It was an extremely slow read, but the story itself is an absolutely fantastic one and was well worth it!

Vol-au-vent: Name a book that you thought would be amazing but fell flat.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I read Divergent last year and completely loved it, so I was incredibly eager to continue on with the trilogy. However, I read Insurgent earlier this year and it fell very flat for me. It started out fairly well, but it quickly began to drag on, and I felt that it was quite repetitive at times. It lacked a lot of the qualities that I liked about the first book; I even found the characters had been negatively altered and were quite frustrating. I was really hoping to love this book and, in the end, was very disappointed with it.

Pain au chocolat: Name a book that you thought would be one thing but turned out to be something else.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls was absolutely nothing like what I expected it to be just from reading the synopsis. I believed it would be a story about ghosts or supernatural creatures; I assumed this was going to be a typical Halloween type read. It is absolutely not. It is about a very different type of monster, and this book…oh man, this book! One of the best novels I have ever read, and one that will always remain at the top of my favorites list.

Profiterole: Name a book or series that doesn’t get enough attention.

Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Love and Other Unknown Variables was just released last year and is by a debut author. I always love discovering new authors, so I decided to pick it up when it was first released, and I am so glad that I did. This is not the typical type of story that I usually read and enjoy, but I completely fell in love with this novel. It is very well written, and a sad yet beautiful story of love and friendship with a powerful message. It even made me tear up multiple times, which is extremely rare for me to do when reading. I have not heard much at all about this novel since it came out, and it definitely deserves more attention than it has gotten.

Croquembouche: Name a book or series that’s extremely complex.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

At the moment, I have mainly watched the television show, but I am just starting to get into the book series now. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series, and it is definitely exceedingly complex. There are so many different plot lines to follow, most of which tie into or overlap each other in various ways. And the names! I have the hardest time keeping everyone straight. This complexity, however, is what makes this series so engrossing and addictive; you can’t help but get completely lost in this world.

Napoleon: Name a movie or TV show based off a book that you liked better than the book itself.

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

It is definitely a rare occurrence for me to find a movie or television show that I prefer over the original book. However, the most recent film version of Prince Caspian was one of the few movies based off a book that I enjoyed more than the book itself. I absolutely love the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, but I felt that this was the weakest of the novels and that some parts of it dragged on a bit. The movie managed to stick to the general storyline very well and include all the important plot points while improving on the aspects that weren’t quite as strong.

Empanada: Name a book that was bittersweet.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God is an incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking story. The main character, Janie, goes through so much pain and suffering, but gains the freedom that she has always wanted for herself. Despite all of the sad moments, there are also many uplifting, powerful, and bright points in the story as well. It is by far one of the most bittersweet novels I’ve ever read, and a longtime favorite of mine.

Kolompeh: Name a book or series that takes place somewhere other than your home country.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Embarrassingly enough, I still have not yet started this series even though I’ve owned it for ages. But I figured I would use this here because it takes place in one of my favorite cities: Prague. I had the pleasure of traveling to Prague for the first time last summer, and I completely fell in love. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen in my life, and I am so eager to go back and spend more time there whenever I get the chance. My experience there has also made me even more excited about diving into this series!

Pate a Choux: Name one food from a book or series that you would like to try.

Pumpkin Pasties from Harry Potter

There are so many different types of food in novels, particularly the Harry Potter series, which sound absolutely delicious. However, as I’ve managed to mention in all of my fall themed posts lately, I’m pretty certain I have an addiction to pumpkin! I absolutely love all things pumpkin related, so pumpkin pasties have always appealed to me ever since I first heard them mentioned in these books. I’d love to try one…or twenty…

I Tag:

Cátia @ The Girl Who Read Too Much

Bea @ Confessions of a Pinay Bookaholic

Panda @ Panda’s Books

Nick @ The Paper Dragon

Leslie @ Confessions of a Bookaholic

Cristina @ My Tiny Obsessions

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

5. The Queen’s Army by Marissa Meyer

4. The Map by William Ritter

3. Glitches by Marissa Meyer

2. Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

1. The Little Android by Marissa Meyer

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)

Favorite scary must read for Halloween

Scariest book cover, like ever…

If you could pick any author to go trick or treating with, who would you pick?

If you could dress up as any bookish character for Halloween, who would you be?

If you could find anything, from any book, in your trick or treat stash, what would you hope to find?

In what fictional world would you like to go trick or treating?

What book villain would you not like to meet alone in a dark alley on Halloween?

Would you rather dress up as a vampire, zombie, werewolf, or a shadowhunter?

Pick a candy (just one) from Harry Potter that you would love to find in your stash?

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

I Tag:

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

Croissant: Name a popular book or series that everyone (including you) loves.

Macaron: Name a book that was hard to get through but worth it at the end.

Vol-au-vent: Name a book that you thought would be amazing but fell flat.

Pain au chocolat: Name a book that you thought would be one thing but turned out to be something else.

Profiterole: Name a book or series that doesn’t get enough attention.

Croquembouche: Name a book or series that’s extremely complex.

Napoleon: Name a movie or TV show based off a book that you liked better than the book itself.

Empanada: Name a book that was bittersweet.

Kolompeh: Name a book or series that takes place somewhere other than your home country.

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)