The Harry Potter Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged to do the Harry Potter Tag by the lovely Kai from Black Cat Kai. Thank you so much for the tag, Kai! Make sure to stop by and check out her blog! 😀

This awesome tag and all of the corresponding art was created by two fantastic book bloggers—Lashaan and Trang from Bookidote. The only rule of the tag: you cannot use Harry Potter books for any of your answers.

Let’s get this tag started!

A book where you found the theme interesting, but you’d like to rewrite it.

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

The concept of the novel was incredibly interesting—it was intended to be formatted in a way that was sort of like found footage movies, but in book form. That style, along with a plot focusing on a murder mystery while making a commentary on celebrity culture, should have theoretically made for a great novel. However, there was no mystery, the characters felt too much like stereotypical caricatures, and the text itself was like reading paperwork. I’d definitely rewrite this to fix those elements. Click here to check out my full review of The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone!

The first book in a series that got you hooked.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I haven’t read all that many series so far in my life, and since I can’t use Harry Potter here, that narrows my list even further! However, The Hunger Games immediately comes to mind here because it was the first series I really got excited about after Harry Potter ended. I absolutely devoured this book, and it quickly made this one of my all-time favorite trilogies!

A book you wish you could have right now.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

I can’t decide between the two—I’m so excited for both. Not only are these books by two of my auto-buy authors, the stories themselves sound absolutely fantastic. I need them in my hands ASAP!

A killer book. Both senses. Take it as you like.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Well, doesn’t this just fit here perfectly! Seriously, this book is killer. It’s by far the most captivating, well-written, and brilliantly plotted book I’ve ever read. Click here to check out my full review of Gone Girl!

A book that you found really confusing.

The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu

I read this a couple of years ago and to this day I’m still not certain how I felt about it. The concept for the plot was intriguing, but the actual execution of it was not the smoothest. I found that the story jumped around far too much, making it choppy and hard to follow. On top of that, it at times felt like the author was unsure of where he wanted the story to go. Overall, it unfortunately ended up being a jumbled and unsatisfying read.

Your spirit animal book.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Is anyone surprised by this? 😀 My brain is essentially solely comprised of superheroes and supervillains, so this book is everything a nerd like me ever wanted and more. Morally ambiguous characters are my favorite to both read and write about, as well as the intriguing psychology elements that inevitably come into a plot along with them. Between the vivid characters, fascinating storyline, and stellar writing, there is no doubt in my mind that Vicious is my spirit animal! Click here to check out my full review of Vicious!

A dark, twisted book.

Alice by Christina Henry

I absolutely love reading dark stories and have read tons over the years, but this is definitely the darkest and most twisted one I’ve come across so far. If you enjoy those kinds of book though, I would highly recommend it because it was fantastic! I will actually have a full review of this up on here one day, I promise!

A book that surprised you in a great way, reveals to be more than it is.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Whenever I think of books that surprised me, this instantly comes to mind. I was expecting a much different type of story than what it turned out to be, and I think that made me love it even more. There are so many layers, so much complexity in what is an outwardly simple and straightforward story. It is a remarkably beautiful piece of literature. Click here to check out my full review of A Monster Calls!

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Anna @ My Bookish Dream

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Jessica @ The Awkward Book Blogger

Yasmin and Paige @ The Wild Readers

Kayla @ Bookedsolid1989

The Orang-utan Librarian

Emma @ The Terror of Knowing

Michelle @ The Sapphire

6Apr2016

The Reader Problems Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I don’t.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haha umm…well…*shuffles away awkwardly*

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

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

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

25Jan2016

New Year’s Resolutions Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged by the lovely SSJTimeLord to do the New Year’s Resolution Book Tag. Thank you so much for the tag! 😀 She is a fantastic book blogger, so please make sure to take a moment to head over and check out her blog.

This tag was created by Emily over at Embuhlee liest and Shivii from Brown Eyed Musings.

Get in shape – name a book that doesn’t quite fit on your shelf correctly.

Surprisingly enough, I don’t actually have too many books that are oddly shaped or don’t match the size of a fair amount of other books. However, my leather bound editions of books, though they match each other, are taller and wider than all the other books I own. My editions of To Kill a Mockingbird and Grimm’s Fairy Tales in particular don’t quite fit with everything else and stick out among my book piles.

Eat healthily – name a book you feel was good for you to read.

It’s difficult to choose just one book for this question. I would have to go with either To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. These are beautiful novels—two of my favorites of all time, mainly because they are both very thought-provoking reads. Both deal with some extremely important topics in brilliant ways. I feel like they were also good reads for me because they are books that have truly inspired me in my own writing.

Quit smoking – name a book you kept going back to even though you had finished it.

I’m going to have to say To Kill a Mockingbird again for this one, since it is by far the book that I have read the most times in my life. Growing up, I actually used to read this at least twice a year for a number of years. This is my go to read when I am in a slump or just want to read something I know that I will love. I will never get tired of reading this novel!

Save more money – name a book you got for a really good price.

I am totally someone who is very picky about the editions of books that I buy since they are becoming a part of my permanent collection, so I am happy to invest more in a copy that I really want. That being said, I am also someone who loves hunting for deals on everything, especially books. I’ve found some fantastic prices on books over the years, but a great deal I got recently was a copy of Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb for only two dollars!

Be more organized – how do you organize your bookshelf?

I’ve mentioned this a few times before but, embarrassingly enough, I don’t have any bookshelves at the moment. Right now, all of my books are sitting in storage boxes, and there is absolutely no order to them whatsoever. When I finally get some shelves, however, I will organize my books alphabetically by author.

Be punctual – shortest time and longest time it took you to read a book.

Shortest time – While I am not generally the fastest reader ever, there are tons of books I’ve read in a very short amount of time over the years, so I decided to choose from my more recent reads. A fairly recent quick read was A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, which took me about an hour and a half to two hours to complete. It was fast but utterly beautiful, and has become one of my favorite books of all time. If you have not read this yet, definitely give it a go!

Longest time – One of the longest reads for me was Insurgent by Veronica Roth, which took me about three months to complete. I absolutely adored Divergent when I read it a few years ago, and I was very eager to continue on with the series. Unfortunately, while I did not by any means hate it, I ended up being fairly disappointed by Insurgent and had a lot of trouble getting into it. Because of this, I didn’t have as much motivation to finish it and only read a tiny bit at a time.

Go out more – what book made you isolate yourself from the outside world?

Oh man, so many books to choose from! Any of the Harry Potter books or The Chronicles of Narnia would fit this question for sure. Divergent and Gone Girl were two more recent ones that caused me to do this. I also have to add in the entire Hunger Games trilogy. They were the first novels since finishing Harry Potter that I genuinely could not put down once I started reading them.

Be unique – what was your favorite book of 2015?

I read a lot of great books last year, but my favorite by far was Vicious by V.E. Schwab. I read this in December in a buddy read with Heather from The Sassy Book Geek and we had such a fantastic time. Vicious is an incredibly well-crafted story, with beautiful writing and vivid characterization. This novel is utterly epic and it was particularly fun to read and discuss with a fellow superhero/supervillain nerd! I cannot say enough good things about this book—in fact, I will (hopefully) be posting my review of it tomorrow.

Be more personal – what book are you waiting for most this year?

This is a difficult one because I have a ton of upcoming releases that I am excited for. If I had to choose, I would say that Heartless by Marissa Meyer is probably my most anticipated release of the year. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab is an extremely close second, however. I am just dying to get my hands on any novels written by these two wonderful ladies!

Really, resolutions? – what book do you promise to read this year?

There are a ton of books that I’ve promised to read this year (check here, here, and here!), but one in particular that I promise to read is The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. I’ve been wanting to read a Brandon Sanderson novel for a very long time and this is definitely going to be the year I finally do that. I am hoping that I can get through a few books in the Mistborn series before the end of the year, but I will be reading The Final Empire for sure!

I Tag:

Everyone! 😀 Since I’m running a bit late with this, I won’t tag anyone specific. However, if you do complete this or already have completed it, make sure to link me to your post down in the comments so I can check it out!

26Dec2015

Tis’ the Season Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged to do the Tis’ the Season Book Tag by four lovely ladies: Loreva from La Book Dreamer, Heather from The Sassy Book Geek, Jessica from The Awkward Book Blogger, and Michelle from Book Adventures. These four are all absolutely fantastic book bloggers, so please make sure you head over and check out all of their blogs! 😀

1. Do you have a favorite winter read?

For the last few years, my favorite winter reads have been the Sherlock Holmes short stories. They are the perfect stories to read while curled up inside on a cold day, and they always put me in mind of the winter season. Reading these stories definitely gives me the warm fuzzies! This year specifically, I have been reading Vicious by V.E. Schwab (along with Heather!) and The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, and I have been loving both; I would definitely have to add these to my list of favorite winter reads!

2. Find a book with blue on the cover.

I have a huge amount of books with blue on the cover, so this was a difficult one to narrow down! I ended up picking two of my favorite book covers: Jackaby by William Ritter and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer. These are two of the most beautiful books in my collection; I completely adore these covers. I have not yet read All the Light We Cannot See, but I can recommend Jackaby as a fantastic winter read!

3. Find a book you’d use as the star on a Christmas tree.

I would probably choose I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson. I love this cover so much, and the design is very star-like. This would look great on top of a tree! A close second would be my Doctor Who leather bound collection. It’s just the greatest thing ever! Plus my tree is already covered in Doctor Who ornaments, so it would match perfectly! 😀

4. Pick one fictional place that would be perfect for a winter vacation.

I think you guys all probably know my answer to this one already! Narnia, of course! 😀

5. Pick one fictional character you’d take with you on your vacation.

I’ve noticed that I tend to pick the same fictional characters for all tag questions like this, so I think I’ll change it up this time and say Neville Longbottom! He’s been one of my favorite literary characters even since I was a kid, and I totally want him to be my best friend. So I’d definitely love to take him on my winter vacation to Narnia; I think he’d like it there! 🙂

6. Name one book on your wish list this year.

I am a bit late with this post, so Christmas is already over and I have already opened all my bookish gifts. However, one book that was at the very top of my wish list this year was A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin, and I did find that under the tree on Christmas day! 😀

7. Favorite holiday drink, treat, & movie.

Drink: Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Treat: Peppermint Bark

Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life

I Tag:

I’ve been doing a lot of tags lately, so I’m not going to tag anyone specific. Instead, I tag everyone! If you do this tag, make sure to post the link in the comments so I can check out your answers! 😀

Happy Holidays, everyone!

17Dec2015

Dashing Through the Snow Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged to do the Dashing Through the Snow book tag by five wonderful book bloggers: Heather from The Sassy Book Geek, Loreva from La Book Dreamer, Ashleigh from A Frolic Through Fiction, Kayla from Bookedsolid1989, and Liam from Liam’s Library. Thank you all so much for the tag! Also, a big thank you to Astra from A Stranger’s Guide to Novels for creating this tag. Please make sure you stop by and check out all of these absolutely amazing book bloggers! 🙂

_________________________________________________________________________________

The Rules:

Thank The Curator (Astra @ A Stranger’s Guide To Novels)
Tag 5 People To Spread The Christmas Joy!
Have Fun!

_________________________________________________________________________________

1. Name a book you would like to see under your Christmas tree.

This is (unsurprisingly!) an incredibly difficult question to pick just one for. Basically, my go to answer when anyone asks me what I want for Christmas or my birthday is BOOKS! …And Funko Pops…but mainly books! So here’s just a few books I wouldn’t mind finding under the tree this year.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I’ve been wanting to read this for so long now, but I’ve been holding out to get the hardcover edition because it is so beautiful!

Harry Potter Paperback Boxset – I only have a shared set with my family of the original editions of this series, so I’d absolutely love to have my own collection. And these covers…<3

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin – For any of you who have been following my posts lately, this will probably come as no surprise. I have become completely obsessed with Game of Thrones this year, so I must consume all related content immediately!

Soulless by Gail Carriger – This is another novel I’ve wanted to read for a while but haven’t gotten a chance to pick up a copy of yet. I definitely want to start this series in the new year.

2. A book you’ll be reading during the Christmas season.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab is the book that I am currently making my way through in an impromptu buddy read with Heather from The Sassy Book Geek! Toward the end of the month, after all these years, I am finally going to read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. There will hopefully be a few other books sprinkled in there, but these two are definite. It’s going to be a wonderful season of reading!

3. Favourite Christmas movie.

My absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time is It’s A Wonderful Life. This is a fairly untraditional type of story for this time of year, and it is an absolutely beautiful and truly unique film. It also stars one of my favorite actors ever, so it is just a bundle of awesome!

4. Do you like snow?

I definitely have very mixed feelings about snow. Pre-Christmas snow is almost always wonderful…post-Christmas snow, not so much. It is absolutely beautiful to watch coming down and to see covering everything, but I hate when I or any loved ones have to travel in it. And by February, I’m usually pretty tired of it.

5. Name a character you would like to spend your Christmas day with.

This was a really difficult one to decide on because there are so many characters I think would be awesome to spend Christmas day with. However, I ended up choosing Mr. Tumnus. He is such a lovely character and one of my favorites from the series. Everything about Narnia feels so perfect for this time of year, and I think he would be fantastic to have Christmas dinner with!

6. To give or to receive?

I much prefer giving gifts over receiving them. I absolutely love shopping for my friends and family, especially since many of them are book lovers like myself! My favorite thing in the world is surprising people with gifts. It’s the best feeling ever to bring joy to someone any time of year, but particularly during the holidays.

7. What fictional place would you like to spend Christmas at?

I am going to have to agree with many other bloggers who have been doing holiday tags lately and go with Narnia. I just generally want to go to Narnia, but it would be especially wonderful to go there during the Christmas season. And this totally ties in with my answer to question five!

8. Fondest Christmas memory?

This is by far the most difficult question on here for me to answer because I have so many incredible Christmas memories. Spending time with my family at the holidays makes fond memories every single year. Also, as a singer, this is my favorite time of the choral year, with some of the most beautiful music and services. I love our Christmas Eves full of singing and the dinner in between services for the whole choir (my other family!).

If I had to pick one specific memory, it would probably be my first year singing the late service on Christmas Eve when I was seven years old. Back then, we started singing at 11pm, so by the time we finished, it was after midnight on Christmas Day. I got to ring in Christmas together with my family and a bunch of my friends, and it was an absolutely magical night!

9. Can you say Christmas tree then times FAST in a row (pronouncing it correctly!)?

I get tongue-tied so easily, but surprisingly enough, I can actually do this!

I Tag:

Emma @ The Terror of Knowing

Jen @ J.N. Cahill

Zezee @ Zezee with Books

Poppy @ Poppy’s Best of Books

Richard @ The Humpo Show

Daniela @ Daniela’s Bookshelf

Getting Through Anxiety

7Dec2015

The Disney Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

I was tagged by Trisha over at The Bookgasm. Thank you so much, Trisha, for the tag! She has an awesome book blog, so make sure to stop by and check it out! 😀

The Little Mermaid – A character who is out of their element, a “fish out of water.”

The narrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

There is definitely an abundance of characters that could fit this description, particularly in YA literature these days. There are plenty of characters in dystopian situations or in the position of “the chosen one”, but I thought I would go for something a little different. The nameless narrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane is pulled into a world that he is not at all familiar with: a world of magic, of the unexplainable. He is completely out of his element at first, and in an extremely unique way, in my opinion.

Cinderella – A character who goes through a major transformation.

Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This may be a bit of an obvious choice, but I had to choose her for this one. Katniss is one of my favorite literary characters, and is an amazing example of a strong female protagonist. Like many characters in trilogies and series, she changes a lot over the course of the novels. She is brave from the very start, but this truly becomes magnified as the stories progress, and she matures into a great leader.

Snow White – A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This was a tough one to decide on because I have read so many books filled with eclectic characters; that is something I totally love! However, I think I have to choose Cinder for this one, though any novel from The Lunar Chronicles could work here. This novel had a great group of wonderfully developed characters, with very interesting and vivid personalities.

Check out my full review here.

Sleeping Beauty – A book that put you to sleep.

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

I read this book earlier this year and ended up being incredibly disappointed by it. It had a very interesting premise, but the story itself ended up being far different from what the synopsis led me to expect. To be honest, it felt sort of like reading a textbook or a transcript of an event (which may be a more appropriate comparison) than an actual novel. Overall, it just did not hold my attention.

Check out my full review here.

The Lion King – A character who had something traumatic happen to them in childhood.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I have to agree with Trisha on this one and go with Conor from A Monster Calls. This book fits this description perfectly, as the entire story is focused on Conor dealing with said traumatic event. This is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking novels I have ever read in my life, and is also one of my favorites of all time.

Beauty and The Beast – A beast of a book (a big book) that you were intimidated by, but found the story to be beautiful.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This novel is pretty large and was definitely on the intimidating side for me at first. However, I am so incredibly glad that I went ahead and read it because it turned out to be absolutely amazing! It is beautiful and romantic and one of my favorite stories ever. Plus Rochester is one of my favorite literary romantic interests (totally book boyfriend material!).

Aladdin – A character who gets their wish granted, for better or for worse.

Edmund from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I had a bit of trouble thinking up a character for this one. I don’t know why, because I’m sure I’ve read plenty of novels with this plot element in them; but I am completely blanking at the moment! The only character I could come up with was Edmund from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He is expecting one thing, something positive, but ends up getting a bit more than he’s bargained for in his dealings with the White Witch.

Mulan – A character who pretends to be something or someone they are not.

Mare from Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Mare fits this perfectly because that is essentially what she is doing throughout the entire novel. In Mare’s world, there are two types of people: super-powered people with silver blood (the upper class), and people with red blood and no superpowers (the lower class). Mare comes from the latter group, but after it is revealed publicly that she does in fact have powers, she is thrust into the world of the silvers, and forced to pretend to be one of them.

Toy Story – A book with characters you wish would come to life.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird contains some of the most wonderful and iconic characters in literature. I would love almost any of these characters (the good guys, of course) to come to life, but I’d particularly love a real Atticus. Who wouldn’t want someone like that in their life? 🙂 *Side note: I have not yet read Go Set a Watchman, so I am referring to the true Atticus!

Disney Descendants – Your favorite villain or morally ambiguous character.

Loki from Marvel Comics

I’m sure this is probably not going to come as much of a surprise to regular readers of my blog! Though I have found a lot of top-notch villains in novels and comics, Loki will most likely always remain my favorite. He is my favorite type of villain: one that is complicated, well rounded, and is not just completely evil all the time. He is a trickster, and you never know what he will do next or what side he is on. His character has so much depth; he is definitely not a cookie-cutter villain!

I Tag:

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Kayla @ bookedsolid1989

Anna @ My Bookish Dream

Michelle @ Book Adventures

Paige @ Page by Paige

Imogene @ Amidst the Pages

4Dec2015

The Autumn Book Tag

Posted in Tags by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Winter is coming (Sorry! Had to!) and my favorite season of the year is drawing to a close. So, to finish off the season, I thought it would be fun to reflect back on the best parts of autumn! I was tagged by Windie at Geek Apprentice to do The Autumn Book Tag. Thank you so much, Windie, for the tag! 🙂

What is your favorite thing about autumn?

I love the weather being cool but not freezing, making it perfect for cozy sweaters and boots. And I love the changing leaves and beautiful colors. And pumpkins…I love pumpkins!

What book reminds you of your school days?

Once again, I’m going to have to bring up my favorite novel because To Kill a Mockingbird is the novel that reminds me the most of my school days. It was a book that I, like many people, discovered through school and it is by far one of the best books I have ever read. After studying it for the first time in middle school, I ended up reading this book at least once a year every year following that.

What cover reminds you of autumn?

Beastly Bones by William Ritter – I love the nice warm color scheme of this cover, and the contrast between it and the cooler color scheme of Jackaby. And let me just say (for the millionth time), this series’ covers are insanely beautiful!

What is your favorite horror or Halloween story?

My all-time favorite horror story is The Shining by Stephen King. This is one of the most incredible and terrifying horror stories ever, and it was the only novel I have ever read that has come anywhere close to actually scaring me. I very highly recommend giving this a read if you have not!

What is your favorite horror or Halloween film?

As always, I can’t choose just one! Related to the last answer, my favorite horror “film” is The Shining, but the miniseries version with Steven Weber, not the actual movie version. My favorite Halloween film, on the other hand, is Hocus Pocus!

What fall book release are you looking forward to?

All of the fall book releases I have been looking forward to have already come out. However, I have not yet had a chance to read most of them, so the fall release that I am most looking forward to reading is Winter by Marissa Meyer. I feel like this is definitely many people’s most anticipated fall release, and I am so excited to read this and see how the series wraps up. A very close second would be Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo; it sounds fantastic!

What autumn movie release are you anticipating?

I have been slacking off on my movie watching, so I have not yet had a chance to see any of my most anticipated autumn releases. However, the ones that I am most excited for (and hoping to see soon) are Spectre, Mockingjay, and The Peanuts Movie.

What are the three books you plan to read this autumn?

Since autumn is ending very soon, I figured I would list the three books that I am definitely planning to finish before the end of the year. Chances are I will finish some or all of these in autumn! 🙂

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I Tag:

Everyone who is reading this and wants to do it! 🙂 If you do, please link me to your post so I can check it out!

-Ariana

A book where you found the theme interesting, but you’d like to rewrite it.

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

The first book in a series that got you hooked.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A book you wish you could have right now.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

A killer book. Both senses. Take it as you like.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

A book that you found really confusing.

The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu

Your spirit animal book.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

A dark, twisted book.

Alice by Christina Henry

A book that surprised you in a great way, reveals to be more than it is.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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:

Get in shape – name a book that doesn’t quite fit on your shelf correctly.

Eat healthily – name a book you feel was good for you to read.

Read more – name a book you keep telling yourself to read but haven’t yet.

Quit smoking – name a book you kept going back to even though you had finished it.

Save more money – name a book you got for a really good price.

Be more organized – how do you organize your bookshelf?

Be punctual – shortest time and longest time it took you to read a book.

Go out more – what book made you isolate yourself from the outside world?

Be unique – what was your favorite book of 2015?

Be more personal – what book are you waiting for most this year?

Really, resolutions? – what book do you promise to read this year?

I Tag:

1. Do you have a favorite winter read?

2. Find a book with blue on the cover.

3. Find a book you’d use as the star on a Christmas tree.

4. Pick one fictional place that would be perfect for a winter vacation.

5. Pick one fictional character you’d take with you on your vacation.

6. Name one book on your wish list this year.