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?

24Feb2016

Top 5 Wednesday – February 24th, 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 worst love interests (male or female). I don’t read many romance heavy stories, so I was unable to think up five love interests that I didn’t like. Instead, I’ve decided to go with last week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic since I was unable to do it on the day. Last week’s topic was the top five suggested books (books recommended to you) that you loved.

It goes without saying, if there are any books on this list that you haven’t read yet, I recommend them to you! 😀

5. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I actually bought this one as a Christmas gift for my mom. She ended up loving it and immediately told me I needed to read it too. This story was everything I had hoped for—lovely, heartwarming, and with spectacular writing to boot. It was a wonderful read, and an absolutely perfect book for book lovers. I promise, I will have a review up for this one day!

4. Alice by Christina Henry

If there is one thing I like more than a retelling, it’s a dark retelling. This one was recommended to me by my friend Heather from The Sassy Book Geek. It was disturbing and twisted and creepy and fantastic—overall a fascinating and extremely creative reimagining of a classic and well-loved tale.

Full review coming very soon!

3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

I’ve been a massive Neil Gaiman fan for a long time, so this was already on my radar. However, I read it when I did because my best friend had just finished it and kept going on about how good it was. Actually, I was over at her house and she handed me the book and told me to start reading right then and there; that’s definitely the sort of recommendation you know you can trust! Obviously, I ended up absolutely adoring this novel—in fact, I think this may be my favorite Neil Gaiman novel that I’ve read so far.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This one will come as no surprise to anyone since I rave about it (and Gillian Flynn) way too much! On top of the entire world talking about this book, it was specifically recommended to me by both my best friend and my dad. My best friend and I have extremely similar reading tastes, so I always trust her recommendations—and she loves Gillian Flynn. A few months before I picked it up, my dad also read and loved this, so when I was out visiting my best friend at school, I began reading it. It rapidly became one of my favorite novels of all time, and made Gillian Flynn one of my favorite authors.

Click here to read my full review!

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Though I had known about these novels for ages, this is another recommendation that I have to credit my mom for. If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably already know that this is one of my favorite novels of all time (and that it’s another one I talk about way too much!). I attempted reading my first Sherlock Holmes novel—The Hound of the Baskervilles—when I was far too young to really enjoy it, and thus, I assumed that I did not like Sherlock Holmes…oh boy was I wrong! I had to read The Speckled Band in class a few years later and enjoyed that, but it wasn’t until my mom gave this to me as a gift one holiday that the obsession truly began! ❤

Click here to read my full review!

What are some recommendations that you’ve received and ended up loving? Do you have any favorites you would like to recommend? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

23Feb2016

Top 10 Tuesday – February 23rd, 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 enjoyed recently (in the last yearish) that weren’t your typical genre/type of book (or that were out of your comfort zone). I’ve been on a bit of a sci-fi/fantasy binge for a while now (a.k.a. my comfort zone), so we’re going to have to go more toward the “ish” side of yearish. Also, to help myself come up with ten, I’ve split the list into two parts—five that I enjoyed and five that I did not. There is a little bit of a theme here, since the majority of this list are romance and contemporary novels.

This will probably come as no surprise to anyone, but I am and always have been a complete reading addict. I am someone that will read absolutely anything I can get my hands on, and I typically do stray out of my comfort zone a fair amount. In fact, I enjoy doing so, even if I end up not enjoying the novel I choose—it’s always fun to try new things no matter what, and you might end up finding a new favorite! I don’t regret trying any of these novels, I just definitely preferred some over others…

Liked

1. Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Over the past few years, I have been making a point of trying to read a larger number of debut authors, and this is one that I picked up from the library for exactly that reason. This novel was pretty far outside of my comfort zone, but it ended up really taking me by surprise. It was very well written, with a sweet romance and a lovely message about the importance of love, friendship, and literature. Plus, there were tons of references to To Kill a Mockingbird in it! 😀

2. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I picked up a copy of this back when it first came out (to be honest, I think this was a bit of a cover buy!), but had let it sit on my shelf for ages. I finally got around to reading it last year when I was looking for something a bit different from my normal type of read—and I actually ended up really enjoying it. This story had much more depth than I was expecting, and I thought the author’s writing style was great. It ended up being a quick and unexpectedly satisfying read, and I’m so glad I gave it a try.

3. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

This was not all that far out of my comfort zone, but it is still a contemporary romance novel, so it totally counts! I read this at the end of last year and absolutely loved it—this was a perfect way to wrap up my 2015 reads. It was hilarious, adorable, and made me feel all of the warm fuzzies I was hoping to feel. ❤

4. Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

I found this one while randomly browsing at the bookstore one day, and decided to add it to my debut author TBR. I absolutely did not expect to enjoy this novel as much as I did. This story had a fantastic amount of depth and I thought that the writing was stellar. The characters and all of their storylines were developed and presented well in the context of the plot, and I loved the unique choice of narrator. This was definitely a good impulse purchase!

5. The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

This was another one that I picked up from the library on a whim—mainly because I love reading novels in verse—and it’s another that ended up taking me completely by surprise. The plot is sort of a common contemporary novel premise, but it is still successfully unique. And when done well, like it is here, I usually really enjoy this type of story. The prose flowed beautifully, and I found the story itself to be quite captivating and thought-provoking. On top of this, I actually quite enjoyed the romance aspect—it was sweet, touching, and well-paced.

Didn’t Like

1. Dead Rules by Randy Russell

This book…just…nope. I grabbed this from the library for no particular reason. Couldn’t get into it. Didn’t actually finish it (which is insanely rare for me). In hindsight, that tagline should have told me to maybe skip over this one when I found it.

2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Okay, so to be honest, this is probably another book that I maybe shouldn’t have attempted, but I still don’t regret it! I figured I would give it a go after all the incredible things I had heard about it—and I can definitely see why people enjoy this series. But I think I can finally confirm that supernatural romance just really isn’t my thing…

3. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

This novel caught my attention due to the creativity when it came to points of view. I figured this would be a really unique take on a typical contemporary romance novel, so I was more than happy to give it a go. Sadly, I just could not feel any connection at all between the romantic interests, and it was difficult to fully immerse myself in the plot due to the constantly changing viewpoints (as well as the quantity). I actually have a full review for this novel that I will be posting pretty soon, so I will go into a bit more detail then!

4. The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu

This one was slightly closer to my comfort zone than some of these other novels. However, though it is a fantasy story, there is a much larger focus on romance than the typical fantasy novels I read. In fact, the romance ended up being pretty much the main focus of the story, which unfortunately did not serve it well in my opinion. It made sense, given the premise, that love would play a significant role in the plot, but the romance fell quite flat for me. Overall, the story was creative and incredibly unique, but I would have liked to see more attention paid to the fantasy aspect, and a much stronger and more well-developed setting and cast of characters.

5. Almost by Anne Eliot

I purchased this novel back when it first came out, but it sat on my kindle for a really long time. Honestly, I can’t recall why I bought it—but again, trying new things is always good. This was definitely my favorite from the “disliked” section of this list. I would mainly chalk my dislike of it up to unlikeable characters and slightly repetitive and frustrating plot progression. It was not a bad novel by any means, it was simply just not for me.

No matter what my feelings were, once again…

What are some books that you’ve read lately that were out of your comfort zone? How did you feel about them? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

-Ariana

19Feb2016

The Skyrim Book Tag (Original)

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Though I was incredibly late when it came to getting around to playing it for the first time, Skyrim is one of my absolute favorite games of all time. I’ve been playing quite a bit of it lately and of course, being the book nerd that I am, it got me started thinking about a Skyrim book tag. I was pretty certain there would already be one, but was surprised to see that one does not appear to exist yet. Obviously, I had to fix that! 😀

This is the first tag I’ve ever created, so bear with me!

Fus Ro Dah – A book that blew you away.

For this one, I’m going to have to go with a recent read—Vicious by V.E. Schwab. I feel like I can’t even begin to describe how much I adored this novel. Given my love of superheroes and supervillains, I was fairly certain I was going to enjoy it, but I still wasn’t at all prepared for how amazing it ended up being; it was everything I was hoping for and so much more. Victoria Schwab is a master at storytelling and character creation, bringing to life a unique plotline with a vivid and extremely complex cast of characters. It was exciting, fast-paced, and suspenseful, making it hard to put down and to get off my mind.

Dovahkiin – Favorite “chosen one” story.

Harry Potter. Hands down. Okay, so I admit that’s an obvious choice, but it’s the truth! 😀 To be honest, I don’t have a lot of “chosen one” stories that I really love. I do enjoy them from time to time, but I’m a bit picky because they can easily be too repetitive or over-the-top. It can be frustrating when they get too far into “special snowflake” or “deus ex machina” territory. The Hunger Games would be an extremely close second.

Thu’um – A book that got a verbal reaction out of you (good or bad).

Since I’m good at being indecisive, I’ll pick one for each!

Good – I would say anything by Gillian Flynn, but I have only read two of her stories, so Gone Girl and The Grownup. Never before have I read stories so brilliantly plotted and with such insane and surprising twists. I don’t think it will ever be possible for me to get through one of her novels without some sort of verbal outburst!

Bad – A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. I know I shouldn’t have been surprised given the fact that contemporary romance novels and I don’t usually get along so well. The prospect of fourteen different points of view really caught my attention—I mean, two of them were a squirrel and a park bench! However, while it was a creative concept, this was one of the most frustrating stories I have ever read, and it had me shouting at the characters on many occasions. It was impossible to connect to any of the main characters with so many perspectives, and the progression of the romance faced so many near misses and setbacks that it became completely implausible.

Arrow to the Knee – A book or series that started out well but ended up being disappointing.

Again, since indecisiveness is my forte, I’ll pick one of each (kind of…)! 😛

Book – This was one that I was a bit conflicted on, but I would have to say Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I loved the concept for this novel, and though I never really connected with the main character at any point, the story started out strong. Between the concept of the superpowers and Aveyard’s beautiful, vivid writing, I was completely hooked. But as the story went on, the focus turned away from the interesting and important aspects of the plot and more toward trivial things. On top of that, the ending was fairly predictable and a bit too sudden to be believable. I did not hate Red Queen by any means, and I will definitely be continuing on with this series at some point, but I found this first novel to be on the disappointing side.

Series – I have not yet finished the final book, but the Divergent trilogy was a series that I felt did not retain the same quality as it started out with. Divergent is fantastic, one of my favorite books, and it got my hopes up pretty high about the rest of the series. However, I just could not get into Insurgent, and found that it was missing a good amount of what I loved about the first novel. Unfortunately, the series as a whole ended up being rather disappointing.

Shadowmere – Favorite literary/fictional animal or pet.

My favorite literary/fictional animals in general—conveniently staying with the theme of Skyrim—are dragons. And though I would totally not mind having a dragon as a pet, I might have to choose a direwolves from Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series for that favorite. I absolutely love wolves, and these intelligent and beautiful animals would make incredibly loyal companions.

Alduin – Most frightening literary/fictional animal.

Having just said how much I love wolves, I have to briefly contradict myself and choose the wolves of the White Witch’s secret police in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe—specifically Maugrim, the captain. I still generally adore wolves, but these ones completely freaked me out when I was younger (and still a bit today, if I’m honest)! I chalk part of my fear up to how insanely creepy they were in the old BBC film that I watched as a kid; I remember actually having to close my eyes through some of their scenes the first few times I watched it! However, they are also (understandably) presented as very frightening and vicious in the novel as well.

Companions Guild – Best literary friendship.

Though there are tons of amazing literary friendships that I love, I have to go with my all-time favorite one—Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. In my opinion, this is the most brilliant character pairing in literary history. They have a unique relationship that works so well in the context of the stories—they complement each other perfectly. This is truly a dynamic duo!

Dark Brotherhood – The darkest story you’ve ever read.

This would be a toss up between Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Alice by Christina Henry. My favorite types of stories—both to read and to write—are dark ones, and these two are by far the most intense and twisted novels I have ever read. They were both absolutely spectacular as well!

Thieves Guild – Favorite morally ambiguous character.

Okay, so I really want to choose Loki for this one, because he is my favorite of all-time. However, I did want to go with a book character, so I’ll choose one of my newest favorites—Victor Vale from Vicious by V.E. Schwab (goodness, there were a lot of “v’s” in that statement…). He is one of the best examples of an antihero that I have ever come across. I feel like I’ve said this a million times before, but he is totally that type of character that you hate to love and maybe even love to hate. He is so well-imagined and I absolutely adored reading about him.

Wuld Nah Kest (whirlwind sprint) – Your fastest read.

One of the fastest reads I’ve ever had was A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. This is not a long story, but the beautiful writing and skillful storytelling makes it fly by so much faster. It took me about two hours to read—and that’s even counting the extra time it took due to inability to see anything through my tears!

Tiid Klo Ul (slow time) – Your slowest read.

The slowest read I can remember ever having was Insurgent, which took me about three months to get through. I’m not the fastest reader in the world, but I usually get through most books in a reasonable amount of time. So taking three months to finish a book is quite a rare occurrence for me. Insurgent, unfortunately, really paled in comparison to Divergent, and I found it relatively difficult to get into. That, coupled with the fact that I was in a bit of a reading slump at the time, definitely took away from my motivation to read it.

Tamriel – Favorite fictional world.

It will come as absolutely no surprise to any of you who know me pretty well by know when I say Narnia. It is such a beautifully created world, full of magic, awesome mythical creatures and, the best part, talking animals! No matter what, there will always be a small part of me that keeps hoping I’ll find a doorway in the back of a wardrobe. 🙂

Bonus Question:

“Sworn to Carry Your Burdens” – The heaviest book you own.

By far, the heaviest book that I own is my leather bound edition of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. It is also, coincidentally, one of my favorite books that I own as well! 🙂

I Tag:

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Anna @ My Bookish Dream

Kayla @ Bookedsolid1989

Emma @ The Terror of Knowing

The Orang-utan Librarian

SSJTimeLord

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Zezee @ Zezee with Books

Jessica @ The Awkward Book Blogger

Catia @ The Girl Who Read Too Much

Cristina @ My Tiny Obsessions

Yasmin and Paige @ The Wild Readers

Jesse @ Books at Dawn

Michelle @ Book Adventures

Liam @ Liam’s Library

Bookception21

…and anyone else who is interested in doing this tag! Also, to everyone I’ve tagged, there is absolutely no pressure to do this—only if you want to! 😀

16Feb2016

The Book Courtship Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged to do the Book Courtship Tag by my friend Heather from The Sassy Book Geek. Thank you so much for the tag! Heather is an absolutely wonderful book blogger, so please take some time to head on over and check out her posts!

Phase 1: Initial Attraction – A book you bought because of the cover?

I’ve never bought a book solely because of its cover. However, covers and editions are definitely important to me when it comes to buying books. Two books whose covers were the main reason I checked them out in the first place were All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and Jackaby by William Ritter. They kept catching my eye every time I went to the bookstore, so finally I looked into what they were about—they ended up being right up my alley. The edition of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier that I own was a total cover buy. The movie adaptation is one of my favorite films, so I had been wanting to read this novel for a long time—when I saw this beautiful copy, I absolutely had to get it!

Phase 2: First Impressions – A book you got because of its summary?

I pretty much only ever buy books based on their summaries, except in the rare case of auto-buy authors. However, I remember finding the summary of More Than This by Patrick Ness particularly captivating. It was a very vague description, incredibly cryptic, and sounded like it would be one of those intense, heart-pounding stories. I completely adore mysteries and thrillers, so I knew I would have to give this a try. Plus, Patrick Ness is perfection. ❤

Phase 3: Sweet Talk – A book with great writing?

Speaking of Patrick Ness… 😀 Okay, so I’m not going to be able to choose just one novel for this answer, but I’ll keep it to two: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Vicious by V.E. Schwab. Both of these novels had some of the most spectacular writing that I have ever come across—Schwab and Ness are extraordinarily talented authors. They are both masters at creating a captivating plot and a cast of characters that their readers can easily connect with. On top of this, their words themselves flow beautifully. If you have not yet picked up either of these novels, I highly recommend them!

Phase 4: First Date – The first book of a series that made you want to pick up the rest of the series?

I have always been more of a standalone reader than a series reader, and any of the series on the embarrassingly small list of ones that I’ve read would fit this question. However, The Hunger Games is the one that stands out the most in my mind. I was totally addicted after just a few chapters and I could not put it down. This was the first series after finishing Harry Potter that I got really excited about, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Phase 5: Late Night Phone Calls – A book that kept you up all night?

This is one I’m going to have to narrow down a bit so I don’t write an insanely long list (yeah, I basically don’t sleep…who needs sleep anyway?). A somewhat recent one that comes to mind is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. It took me forever to pick this novel up, but as soon as I did, I was immediately hooked. I spent multiple nights reading these stories until…well…it wasn’t actually night anymore. 🙂

Phase 6: Always On My Mind – A book you could not stop thinking about?

There are so many books that I’ve read just in the last year that I still cannot get off my mind. One in particular that really stands out is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This is one of the most insane, twisted, and mind-bending stories that I have ever read, and I adored every second of it. It’s definitely one of those novels that requires a lot of mental processing afterward and really sticks with you. Gillian Flynn is an evil genius!

Phase 7: Getting Physical – A book that you love the way it feels?

I love the way the edition I have of The Hobbit feels. I prefer books that have a textured cover rather than a smooth one, and this one does (and it’s a gorgeous edition in general!). Just for the record, The Lunar Chronicles novels—both the hardcovers and paperbacks—feel amazing as well!

Phase 8: Meeting The Parents – A book you would recommend to your family and friends?

I definitely have to agree with Heather on this one and say Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Recommending books to my friends and family (and basically anyone who will listen to me!) is one of my favorite things in the world to do. However, everyone is going to have a different taste when it comes to what they are interested in reading, so I usually have to tailor my recommendations to the person. Hyperbole and a Half is one novel that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone—it’s hilarious, clever, heartfelt, and something that I truly believe everyone will enjoy.

Phase 9: Thinking About The Future – A book or series you know you will re-read many times in the future?

I don’t tend to re-read books too often, though there are some very obvious exceptions. The Harry Potter series and The Chronicles of Narnia will be series that I will definitely read a countless amount of times throughout my life. But of course, the number one book that I know for a fact I will re-read many times in the future is…you guessed it…To Kill a Mockingbird! 😀

Phase 10: Share The Love – Who do you tag?

The Orang-utan Librarian

Papercutpetals

Chelsie @ Chelsie’s Book Addiction

Jasmine @ jazzycliffhanger

Ragan @ Read.Rinse.Repeat

Anna @ Cheeky Column

Emma @ Em Does Book Reviews

10Feb2016

Top 5 Wednesday – February 10th, 2016

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is the top five books you were spoiled for. I actually had a fair amount of trouble thinking up books for this list today, which I guess is a good thing! This got me thinking about spoilers and how they affect me and my reading experience (or viewing experience with movies and TV shows). I have come to the realization that they don’t really bother me all that much. Sure, I definitely prefer avoiding them, but I’ve never felt like they have ever completely ruined my personal experience with the content.

I would also like to thank Lainey for giving me a shoutout in her video today. It was incredibly kind of you to do that, and it completely made my day; I haven’t stopped smiling since I saw it! And to everyone who has come over from her video, welcome! Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my posts, and for all the follows as well. You guys rock! 😀 ❤

So, without further ado, here are a few books that I was spoiled for prior to reading them. Side note, I will not be revealing any of the specific points of these novels that I was spoiled on. In fact, for a couple of these, if you have read them, you will probably know exactly what those plot points were!

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

As you are about to see, many of the books I’ve been spoiled on—actually maybe all of them—are due to the fact that I am insanely slow getting around to popular novels. Gone Girl falls into that category, as I only just read it last year. For this one, I was accidently spoiled on arguably the most important plot point of the entire novel by overhearing people talking about it. It was unavoidable, and though I do wish I could find out what my reaction to this story would have been without knowing anything ahead of time, it absolutely did not ruin my experience. I completely adored this novel—it was one of my favorite reads of last year. And I’m fairly certain I acquired a Gillian Flynn addiction in the process…

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

Okay, so this one was entirely my fault. I still have not read this book yet—though I do intend to begin the series this year—so obviously, I’m quite late to the party with this one. Not only have I been massively spoil due to…well…the Internet, I have also already started watching the television series. However, the spoilers have not ruined my viewing experience with the show, and I’m sure it will be the same way with the novels. I’m going to enjoy getting to dive into these stories for myself no matter what!

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is another one that was entirely my fault. This was always an option on reading lists for school and, though I kept meaning to choose it, I never actually got around to it. In fact, I just read it for the first time last month (and absolutely loved it, not surprisingly!). So, not only was I spoiled on a few bits just from the fact that I took so long to get around to reading it, but I may or may not have also gone to see the movie beforehand… I know, I know! Bad Ari! My excuse is that my best friend was home visiting and wanted us to go see it together. I blame her! 😀

2. The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

Specifically, I was spoiled on some important plot points in the second novel and the end of the final novel. However, this once again did not at all ruin my enjoyment of this trilogy. I accidently read this spoiler, just after finishing Legend, in a review that did not have a spoiler alert on it. This is one of the best examples I can give for this topic because I was genuinely upset and rather disappointed when I learned of this plot point. I was worried that it would end up negatively affecting my enjoyment of the novels, but thankfully that has so far not been the case at all.

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

I feel like this one is going to be on a lot of people’s lists today. This was another combination of me taking forever to read a popular series and being a book nerd with access to the Internet. Now, Allegiant is the only one that I’ve not yet read, and at this point I am unsure if I am going to. This actually has very little to do with the spoilers and more to do with the fact that I just really did not enjoy Insurgent when I read it last year. I do hate leaving series unfinished and I feel bad because I absolutely loved Divergent, so those things may sway me toward finishing this last book one day.

How much do spoilers tend to affect your reading experience? What books have you been spoiled for? Let me know in the comments (but remember…no spoilers! 😀 )!

-Ariana

8Feb2016

The Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged by Cristina from My Tiny Obsessions and Catia from The Girl Who Read Too Much to do the Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s book tag. Thank you both so much for the tag! This was created by Aimal from Bookshelves & Paperbacks.

Vanilla Caramel Fudge: pick a light, fluffy contemporary

We are starting things off with a tricky one since light, fluffy contemporaries are really not at all my thing. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is probably the lightest and fluffiest of the small amount of contemporary novels that I have read in my life. It was overall adorable and hilarious, and I absolutely loved it! Two others that are not quite as light, but that I ended up really enjoying were The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith and The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder.

Mint Chocolate Cookie: a new release that you wish everybody would read

I haven’t actually read any really new releases just yet, so I’m going to fudge this a little bit and say Winter by Marissa Meyer. Basically, I wish everybody would read (and hopefully enjoy!) the entire Lunar Chronicles series in general. I cannot gush enough about these novels!

Karamel Sutra Core: a last book in a series that you were completely satisfied with

This may be an obvious choice, but I have to choose Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for this one. I don’t actually read series very often, and when it comes to those that I have read in the past, I have been disappointed by a lot of final books. However, this was one that I absolutely loved—in fact, it’s probably my second or third favorite novel in the series. It was a strong, epic, and satisfying conclusion to an overall fantastic series of books, and I was so pleased that the story was wrapped up so well.

Cherry Garcia: an ending that was bittersweet

For this one, I’m going to have to go with the ending of Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander. This novel overall is incredibly bittersweet—both beautiful and painful. It is a very touching story with a positive underlying message, and the ending holds just as true to this format as the rest of the book. However, let’s just say this is also one book that makes the extremely small list of books that made me cry.

Strawberry Shortcake: a book containing your OTP of OTPs

I’m not usually one to have OTPs, but if any couple is my OTP, it would definitely be Marko and Alana from the graphic novel series, Saga. Their relationship, though it goes through some bumps, is absolutely lovely; they are the very definition of soul mates. Their love for each other outweighs everything, despite all the hardships they face. I adore this pairing.

Milk and Cookies: two authors that if they collaborated, they would go perfectly together

I’m definitely going to have to agree with both Cristina and Catia on this one and say Ransom Riggs and Tahereh Mafi. To be honest, if they were book characters, they would have been my answer to the last question. They are such a wonderful pair, and are each individually very talented and imaginative writers. If they wrote a novel together, chances are high that it would be one of the most epic stories ever!

Boston Cream Pie: a book that had you turning your pages late into the night

Oh man, so many books over the years have done this for me—take any of the Harry Potter or Narnia books for instance! If I were to choose a slightly more recent read, I would have to pick Gone Girl. I absolutely devoured this novel. I was completely engrossed from page one and it was nearly impossible to put down, which caused a number of very late night (or early morning, rather…) reading sessions!

Chocolate Therapy: a book that makes you feel better after a long day of life

You guys know me well enough by this point to not be at all surprised with I say To Kill a Mockingbird for this answer. I’m fairly certain I’ve managed to mention this book at least once in every single tag that I’ve done—and that probably won’t be changing anytime soon! This is one of those stories that never fails to give me the warm fuzzies when I read it, due to both the deep and heartwarming story itself and the personal nostalgia factor—the many fond memories I have of this novel from over the years and its importance to me.

Coffee, Coffee, Buzzbuzzbuzz!: a book not yet released that you can’t wait to get your hands on

This is a difficult topic to choose just one book for, since there are so many fantastic upcoming releases this year! My top most anticipated release of the year is Heartless by Marissa Meyer, but another one right up there with it would be This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. They are both authors that I discovered last year and instantly fell in love with, so I can’t wait to get my hands on any and all of their novels.

I Tag:

Kayla @ Bookedsolid1989

Lashaan and Trang @ Bookidote

Isabella @ Gryffindor Books

Richard @ The Humpo Show

Raquel @ Rakioddbooks

2Feb2016

February 2016 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy February, everyone! First off, I want to apologize for my absence these last few weeks. This past month was a bit rough for me and, because of that, I did not post nearly as much on here as I usually do. I’ve been suffering from migraines for a while now, but the amount I have been getting has dramatically increased recently to the point where I’ve been having them every other day. This made it very hard to sit in front of a computer screen for any amount of time to write posts and reply to comments.

I’m so sorry I’ve been away as much as I have. I’ve missed posting frequently and I’ve missed talking to all of you every day on here and on your posts! Thank you all for being patient with me. I’m hoping to get them under control soon, and I definitely plan to be back blogging and chatting with you guys in full force this month! 😀 ❤

February TBR

I still have some books off last month’s TBR that I want to get to this month, but here are a few more that I am adding to the pile.

1. More Than This by Patrick Ness

It has been far too long since I have read a Patrick Ness book. I read A Monster Calls over a year ago and completely fell in love with his writing to the point where I went out and bought most of his other novels. However, I have not yet had a chance to read any of them yet. I plan to start the Chaos Walking trilogy later this year, so I figured I would tide myself over with this one. It has an incredibly mysterious and intriguing premise, and I’m not at all sure what to expect from this story. I can’t wait to dive in!

2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Cycle is one of the series that I have been wanting to start for a while now, and with the final book coming out soon, I figured this would be a great time to begin. I have heard fantastic things about this series and it has been recommended to me quite a lot, so I’m really looking forward to checking it out.

3. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

I’ve gone a month without reading a V.E. Schwab novel and I am already dying to read another one. This has been at the top of my TBR for a while, so I’m hoping I can finally get to it this month. Plus, I have A Gathering of Shadows on pre-order and I’d like to finish this before that is released so I can continue on when it gets here (though I’m then going to have to deal with waiting for the final book!).

4. The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

I’ve been making really good progress catching up on reviews and this is a review copy that I have had for a while, so I need to get to it soon. I’m really excited to check it out and see what I think of it. This will be one of my top priorities for the month, and most likely one of my first reads.

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

I found out about this book through Booktube and was immediately intrigued by it. It is pitched as a dark, adult fairytale and seems like it will be an extremely unique story, similar in style and atmosphere to Neil Gaiman’s novels. I believe this is a duology, and I already have the sequel, The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl, so I might continue right on to that when I’ve finished if I enjoy it.

6. Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale

This is another review copy that I’ve received recently and need to get to, so it will be another priority for me this month. I’m always happy to read anything Doctor Who related, which I’m sure comes as no surprise to anyone!

Read in January

Despite my failure in the blogging department, this month was actually fairly productive reading-wise. I managed to read five books and get through a good chunk of a sixth one. I also ended up really enjoying all of these reads quite a lot; they were a great way to begin a new reading year. I’m already making good progress on the reading challenges I’ve given myself and finally catching up on some review copies I’ve needed to get to as well. After feeling a bit slumpy for the past few months, this was definitely a wonderful change, and hopefully it will stay this way.

1. Doctor Who: Death Riders by Justin Richards – As I’ve already said, I love to read anything to do with Doctor Who, and this novel was a really fun read. This was one of the review copies I recently received from Netgalley. Click here to read my review!

2. Doctor Who: System Wipe by Oli Smith – This was my least favorite read of the month, but it was still a quick and entertaining story. This was another Netgalley review copy that I received. Click here to read my review!

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zuszak – I finally did it you guys! After all these years, I finally read The Book Thief—and loved it, of course! Review to come soon.

4. Alice by Christina Henry – Again, I have to thank Heather for this fantastic recommendation. Review to come soon.

5. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn – I’ve been wanting to read more of Gillian Flynn’s work recently, and this was absolutely fantastic (as always!). It’s got me even more excited than I already was to continue on to her next full novel! Review to come soon.

6. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer – I’m not quite finished with this one yet, but I got through a little over half before the end of the month. This will be my first completed read of February, and there will be a review coming very soon after.

January Book Haul

Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Anticipated Releases of February

A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly (Release Date: February 2^nd, 2016)

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (Release Date: February 2^nd, 2016)

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas (Release Date: February 9^th, 2016)

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab (Release Date: February 23^rd, 2016)

What books do you guys have on your TBRs for February? Which new releases are you looking forward to this month? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

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:

5. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

4. Alice by Christina Henry

3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Liked

1. Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

2. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

3. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

4. Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

5. The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Didn’t Like

1. Dead Rules by Randy Russell

2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

3. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

4. The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu

5. Almost by Anne Eliot

Fus Ro Dah – A book that blew you away.

Dovahkiin – Favorite “chosen one” story.

Thu’um – A book that got a verbal reaction out of you (good or bad).

Arrow to the Knee – A book or series that started out well but ended up being disappointing.

Shadowmere – Favorite literary/fictional animal or pet.

Alduin – Most frightening literary/fictional animal.

Companions Guild – Best literary friendship.

Dark Brotherhood – The darkest story you’ve ever read.

Thieves Guild – Favorite morally ambiguous character.

Wuld Nah Kest (whirlwind sprint) – Your fastest read.

Tiid Klo Ul (slow time) – Your slowest read.

Tamriel – Favorite fictional world.

Bonus Question:

“Sworn to Carry Your Burdens” – The heaviest book you own.

I Tag:

Phase 1: Initial Attraction – A book you bought because of the cover?

Phase 2: First Impressions – A book you got because of its summary?

Phase 3: Sweet Talk – A book with great writing?

Phase 4: First Date – The first book of a series that made you want to pick up the rest of the series?

Phase 5: Late Night Phone Calls – A book that kept you up all night?

Phase 6: Always On My Mind – A book you could not stop thinking about?

Phase 7: Getting Physical – A book that you love the way it feels?

Phase 8: Meeting The Parents – A book you would recommend to your family and friends?

Phase 9: Thinking About The Future – A book or series you know you will re-read many times in the future?

Phase 10: Share The Love – Who do you tag?

5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

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

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2. The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Vanilla Caramel Fudge: pick a light, fluffy contemporary

Mint Chocolate Cookie: a new release that you wish everybody would read

Karamel Sutra Core: a last book in a series that you were completely satisfied with

Cherry Garcia: an ending that was bittersweet

Strawberry Shortcake: a book containing your OTP of OTPs

Milk and Cookies: two authors that if they collaborated, they would go perfectly together

Boston Cream Pie: a book that had you turning your pages late into the night

Chocolate Therapy: a book that makes you feel better after a long day of life

Coffee, Coffee, Buzzbuzzbuzz!: a book not yet released that you can’t wait to get your hands on

I Tag:

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)