October 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Yet another month has flown by!

Between the cooling weather, beautiful changing leaves, warm sweaters and boots, and pumpkins galore, October is my favorite month of the entire year. It is also the perfect time to curl up with a good (preferably dark or spooky) book. Fall always makes me feel particularly inspired to both read and work on my own writing; I get some of my best work done in these cooler months.

Since I am very much a mood reader, I find that I can never follow an exact reading list for a long period of time. For me, a TBR ends up being more of a guideline than something set in stone; a record of titles to help me prioritize my insanely massive collection of unread books.

I am still planning on finishing up a few that I did not get to last month, so I definitely will not be able to get to everything on this list. But these are the books that I am currently most eager to get to and/or really feeling in the mood to read, and I’m hoping to get to quite a few of them.

On a brief side note, I did not feel like I had enough to say in a wrap up this past month, so I plan on doing a dual one at the end of October!

The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

This is the book that I am currently reading, so it will be my first read of the month. I was sent this book for review, and so far I’ve really been enjoying it. I plan on finishing it up in the next couple of days, and there will be a review going up on here very soon after!

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

This is a high priority read on my TBR for the month. I picked this book up and started it right when it was first released back in May. However, I ended up getting sidetracked with other books that I had either already started or was particularly excited to get to, so I ended up putting it aside for a while. Before that, I was really enjoying the story, so I would very much like to finish it up sometime this month.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I find that, during the fall and winter, I tend to be particularly in the mood to read a good fantasy novel, as well as some lengthier books. This definitely falls into both of those categories. I have completely fallen in love with the television show over the past few months, and that has made me very motivated to read the actual novels themselves. So, between that and the weather, I am finally read to brave these 800+ pages! Or at least get started on them…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Throne of Glass series is a series that I absolutely need to get started on! I’ve had this book for about a year now and I still have yet to get going on it. As I said, I’m definitely in the mood to read some fantasy right now, and this seems like it will be exactly what I am looking for. I have heard some mixed reviews about this first book, but overall positive thoughts about the series (so far) as a whole, so I am really hoping that I will enjoy these novels.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved a good retelling. The Wrath and the Dawn sounds as if it will be exactly that. I must admit I was a bit on the fence about it at first because, though retellings are wonderful, there have been a lot releasing lately and I’m finding that some of them are become too repetitive or generic. This one, however, I keep seeing and hearing almost solely positive reviews about, so I’m actually really looking forward to it, and I believe it will have that dark tone that I’m in the mood for this month.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious has been a high priority book for me ever since I first discovered it earlier this year, and it was at the top of my Fall TBR list. Nevertheless, somehow, I still have not yet gotten around to it. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and Victoria Schwab’s work in general, and I am absolutely determined to read this novel by the end of the month!

The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero

This is a book that I have not heard much of anything about. I found it at the bookstore a few months back and the cover caught my eye instantly; it has a creepy, gothic type art style, which I love. As soon as I read the description, I thought it sounded like the kind of story I would enjoy, so I grabbed a copy, but I’ve been putting it off to use as an October/Halloween read. I’m definitely looking forward to finally getting to this novel and seeing what it’s all about.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This is another book that I purchased a copy of a long time ago and have been saving to use as an October/Halloween read. I am a massive fan of Neil Gaiman; he is one of my all-time favorite authors and a huge inspiration to me in my own writing. This is one of the few novels by him that I have not read yet, and I am very eager to get into it. I know that I will love it and it will fit the season perfectly!

My Most Anticipated Releases of October:

Binge by Tyler Oakely

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

What’s on your TBR for October, and what are you most looking forward to reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

27Sep2015

Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read

Posted in Miscellaneous by TheQuirkyBookNerd

At this point, I think the fact that I love making lists has been properly established. Let’s make another one!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about two things: books I have yet to read and the size of my TBR pile. I personally tend to take a lot of pride in the fact that I love to read and in the amount of books that I consume on a regular basis. I also enjoy the fact that I have a wide literary knowledge. As readers yourselves, I’m sure you know the feeling; each book read is like a new badge of honor we get to pin on our shirts.

And though it may seem silly, I think a lot of avid readers can identify with the slight feeling of pressure to read certain novels. These can either be novels that are considered to be “classics” and expected to be in the repertoire of any proclaimed bibliophile, or they can be novels that are simply wildly popular within the book community. Either way, we feel that, to fully embrace our bookishness, we should read these stories.

Truthfully, it’s completely ridiculous to feel pressured into reading something; there is absolutely no set of rules or reading requirements you have to meet to be a true booklover. But even though I don’t particularly feel like I have to read certain books, there are still a few I have been meaning to read and am totally ashamed, as a book nerd, that I haven’t yet.

Since my TBR has been getting out of control, I figured it was about time to take myself on a bit of a guilt trip. So today, I thought I would make up a list of the books that I can’t believe I haven’t read yet.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors, and he made this classic story into an absolutely spectacular film (which I have seen far too many times to count). Even though I am definitely a hopeless romantic, when it comes to books, I tend to not be the biggest romance fan, or at least to be very picky about romance in novels. But this is one of my favorite romantic tales and I need to read it soon.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

This is a classic story and was one of my all-time favorite movies growing up. I finally bought myself a copy of this book, and am incredibly eager to read it. I can’t wait to see how the book compares to the movie, and to experience this story again in a whole new way.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I have actually not yet read a book by John Green. This is relatively awkward being an avid reader and a (ahem…quite frequent…) viewer of Youtube videos. Frankly, I think the main reason I haven’t gotten around to reading this yet is the daunting amount of mental and emotional preparation I will need to go through before doing so! In other words: I am not ready for the feels!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I am incredibly ashamed to admit that I have never read a book by J.R.R Tolkien, nor have I seen any of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit films. As a fantasy lover and book/movie nerd, not to mention an aspiring author and filmmaker, I need to rectify this immediately!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

This is an incredibly popular novel and one that I have been very interested to read for a while now. I know a bit about this man’s story, and what he experienced and survived during and after World War II is absolutely astonishing and inspiring. I know that this will be a difficult read, but I also think it is an extremely important read, and I hope to get to it soon.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

I’ve already touched on my guilt about not having read this book in my last Top 10 Tuesday post, but I felt it still deserved to be put on this list. Though I’ve been interested to read this story for ages, I’ve never gotten around to picking it up. This is one that I hope to check off my reading list before the end of the year.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

This is a novel I really should have read already…because school! However, I ended up missing it due to changing schools between ninth and tenth grade. Even though I always hear very mixed opinions of it, this is definitely a story that sounds intriguing to me and I want to give it a try.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This is another one that I somehow missed out on reading in school. As both a book lover and a writer, I’ve desperately wanted to read a Steinbeck novel for years now, but have not yet. Definitely high priority on my TBR.

Misery by Stephen King

Even though I have only read one book and a few short stories by him, Stephen King is a favorite author of mine, and a big inspiration for my own writing. This is another case of a book that I have not read that was a favorite movie of mine growing up. Misery is an absolutely fantastic story (and film), and it is completely outrageous that I haven’t gotten around to actually reading it yet!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is by far the most embarrassing unread book that I have on my TBR. It was always an option on summer reading lists in my later years of school and I’ve seen the movie (yes, I saw it before reading the book. Bad Ari!), but I still have not read it. I do, however, leave it sitting among my other books in a way where I can easily see it every day and feel the shame. I am absolutely determined to get to this book before the end of the year!

What popular books have you been meaning to read but haven’t gotten around to yet? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

14Sep2015

Top 5 Anticipated Releases of Fall 2015

Posted in Miscellaneous by TheQuirkyBookNerd

It’s coming! The time of changing leaves and crisp breezes. The time of cozy sweaters and boots, of apple cider and pumpkin everything. The perfect time to curl up by the window with a cup of hot tea and a good book to read, as the leaves fall and cover the ground in a blanket of warm colors.

2015 has been a wonderful year for new releases, and there are still so many more to come in these final months. And since the official start of fall is just over a week away, I thought I would make up a list of my top five most anticipated releases of the season.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick (September 15^th, 2015)

As I mentioned in my September TBR, I am a major Brian Selznick fan, and I have been looking forward to this book for a long time. I just love the unique format of his novels, and the spectacularly vivid stories he creates through both the text and the illustrations. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I plan on picking this one up some time before the end of the week.

Beastly Bones by William Ritter (September 22^nd, 2015)

This is the sequel to Jackaby, which I read earlier this year and completely loved. It was such a fun, quirky read that totally captured my heart, so I’m dying to get my hands on this next one. I’ve had this on preorder for months, so I’ll most likely be getting started on it fairly soon after it releases!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (September 29^th, 2015)

I’ve wanted to read something by Leigh Bardugo for a while now, and though I do plan on trying out her Grisha Trilogy at some point, this one sounds more like my type of story. It seems like it will be a story filled with tons of action and magic, as it is a fantasy novel about criminals trying to pull off a major heist. A book about anti-heroes, magic, and heists? Yes please! This is an Ari book. It is very high on my TBR this fall.

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (October 6^th, 2015)

I’ve recently been working my way through the Percy Jackson series and have very quickly become a major Rick Riordan fan. I have always been absolutely fascinated by anything to do with the mythologies of different cultures, so his books are all definite must-reads for me. I’m so eager to see what this series has in store, and to learn more about Norse mythology, which I don’t know a whole lot about. And I swear I’m not letting my love of the Thor films affect my excitement at all…maybe.

Winter by Marissa Meyer (November 10^th, 2015)

Of course this has to be on the list; it is my most anticipated book of the entire year. I’ve been making my way through The Lunar Chronicles this year, and I can safely say that it is on my list of favorite series ever. I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up, and I know this is going to be an epic conclusion to a fantastic set of stories!

Let me know in the comments what books you are most anticipating this fall, as well as your favorite parts of the season!

-Ariana

6Sep2015

September 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Can you believe it’s September already? This is coming a bit late as we are already almost a week in, but I thought it would be fun to share my TBR for the month. It is a bit ambitious, and I have a feeling I won’t end up making it through all of these books by the end of the month, however, I am hoping to read a good number of them. So here’s a list of books at the top of my reading list that I plan on working on this month!

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

This is the book that I’m currently working on and I am already loving it! The writing is wonderful; the story is very funny, heartfelt, and emotional. And on top of that, it’s a perfect story for book lovers and anyone who has had their lives touched by literature. I can’t wait to finish it!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I read Cinder at the beginning of the year and completely fell in love with it, and I cannot believe I haven’t read this book yet. I’d also like to catch up on these stories so I can read Winter when it comes out at the end of the year. So it’s about time I continue on with the series!

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

This is another book that I’ve been meaning to get to for a while now. I constantly hear people raving about this trilogy, and Brandon Sanderson’s work in general, so I’m very eager to finally pick up one of his novels. Plus, I’m really in the mood for a good fantasy novel right now.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

I always love reading new authors every year, and this is one debut novel that I’ve been hearing a lot of amazing things about. The premise sounds very interesting and incredibly funny, so I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick

I am a huge fan of Brian Selznick, so of course I’m dying to pick up his newest book! His stories are always fantastic, and as a writer and artist, the format of them always intrigues me. This is coming out toward the middle of the month, and I plan on reading it right away.

Dissonance by Mariella Hunt

This is another debut novel; it just came out a few months ago and is actually written by a friend of mine. The plot sounds very interesting and I’ve read, and loved, her writing in the past, so I’m really looking forward to diving into this.

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

This is another book by a debut author, and it’s pitched as a dark, adult fairytale, which is right up my alley. It seems like it will be a really unique story, and it sounds similar in style to Neil Gaiman’s novels, so I think this will be an enjoyable read.

Miss. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My mom and a number of my friends have been recommending this to me for a few years now so, once again, this is a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while. With the final book coming out this month, and the movie in the works, I thought it would be a great time to get going on this trilogy.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Okay, so I will admit that I have been a bit nervous about reading this one. To Kill a Mockingbird is my absolute favorite book of all time, so with the very mixed reviews, and the controversy surrounding this novel, I have been hesitant. However, I have mentally prepared myself (and have To Kill a Mockingbird on hand for a cheer-up re-read if need be), so I think I’m ready. Also, I have a few family members and friends who have already told me they are waiting to hear what I think about it before they read it, so I want to get to it soon. To be honest, I think I will probably end up liking this and my fears will be for nothing.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I cannot sufficiently explain my eagerness to get to this novel! I just read Gone Girl this summer and I loved it. I am already a total Gillian Flynn fangirl. Her writing style is wonderful, and I am so impressed with her ability to create such complex and intriguing storylines and characters. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

I also plan on continuing to read a few stories out of The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

So that’s my TBR for the month. Let me know in the comments what books you guys are currently reading and/or what you are planning on reading during the month!

-Ariana

The Quirky Book Nerd

Tag Archives: reading list

September 2015 TBR