TTT: Best Books of 2017 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme put on by The Broke and the Bookish

As my parents always say: Better late than never! A few days shy of Top Ten Tuesday, this was too fun of a list to miss out on. I didn't even realize how many great books I had read this year until I started sifting through my Goodreads! My goodness, how did I keep track of this treasure trove before Goodreads?

Nothing Left to Lose by Dan Wells
While this list is in no particular order, Nothing Left to Lose still comes out on top. The sixth and final (at least, so far) book in Wells' John Cleaver series, while not the best book in the series, still gets 5 stars from me and it wraps up the story in a fantastic and unexpected way. I love it.

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
This was an unexpected read; I only found it while browsing Barnes & Noble with a friend a few months back. But White's vivid retelling of Pride & Prejudice as a fantasy novel deserves enough fanfare and praise to get its own display at aforementioned bookstore. Among other fantastic qualities, Darcy is a dragon rider. I repeat: DRAGON RIDER. White has recently been contracted to write two more books in the series, so there's plenty to look forward to.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
It took me years to get to this book, but I really loved it. Maas has created a cruel fantasy world with great characters and some interesting uses of magic. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
My review
This book is amazing. While it consists of actual letters between American Helene Hanff and the employees of the British bookstore she insists on doing business with, it reads very much like a love letter to books that any reader can appreciate. The dry humor and witty banter between the writers is an added bonus, and written from post-WWII 1940s to the 1960s, it offers an interesting frontline view to the period.

The Blacklist: The Gambler by Nicole Phillips
My review
As a Blacklist fangirl AND a fairly picky reader, this one tickled me pink. Between great stories and spot on characterizations of their on-screen personas, this tie-in graphic novel did everything right.

Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones
Yes, you may gasp in shock and dismay when you realize I had never read Howl's Moving Castle before. Heaven knows all my librarian friends did. And now that I've read it, I have to say they were in the right. This book is pretty spectacular. It's funny and clever and full of magic; it reminds me both of Lloyd Alexander's work and the delightful children's fantasies I loved growing up, like Half Magic by Edward Eager and Five Children and It by E. Nesbit.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
This is the second V.E. Schwab I've read and I've got to admit:
I'm kind of a fan. She has a way of working with magic that makes it interesting and a little on the dark side, but it's her characters that really take the cake.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My review
A fantastic mesh of historical fiction, folk lore, and fantasy that brings old Russia to life. I love the clash here between the magic of the old country and the religion of the more 'modern' age, but you can read more about that in my review. Arden also has two more books in the works!

The W.H.O. Files: Potions in the Pizza by Mikey Brooks
My review
A fun and fantastic kids book with larger than life characters, delicious pizza, and witch hunters. What else does a book need?

Tricked by Jen Calonita
My review
While this series is for younger readers, I absolutely love it. It's a fun romp, with some really interesting tweaks to the lives of traditional fairy tale characters after their tales are done. I especially like that Calonita has pulled out a handful of the villains to create a reform school for misbehaving children.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars by various
I'm currently only halfway through this graphic novel series, and already it's a favorite. The prequel trilogy of Star Wars never dug into the specifics of the Clone Wars and more's the pity for it, because it really changes the way I view a lot of the characters and the events. It's also interesting to compare the differences between these graphic novels and the television show of the same name, because these do not tell the same stories at all.

And those are my best book of 2017 so far! What amazing titles have you read this year?

And how did you keep track of your books before Goodreads?

I remember using those handy reading logs during summer reading, but other than that, I really think I just relied on my memory. Oh to be young again...

TTT: Hidden Gems/Underrated Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme put on by The Broke and the Bookish

Newly Discovered Hidden Gems

I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
I'd never heard anything about this book before I stumbled on it at the library and it's been out for at least six years. This is a fantastic, if morbid, tale with fantastic first-person narration and top notch character development.
(I know, I know; I've been talking about this one a lot! Don't worry; it totally deserves the praise.)

Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Though I know this book has been talked a lot about on blogs and booktube (that's where I first heard of it), for a long time it was only available in hardcover at $30+ so I'm assuming it wasn't all that popular at the beginning. With the success of Schwab's more recent books, Vicious is more readily available so if you haven't read it, you'll want to check it out. (FYI, I'd rate this one R for swearing. The book was good enough I read in spite of this, but there's quite a lot of it.

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen
This book is huge in Utah, but I'm honestly not sure how popular this book is elsewhere. If it isn't, IT SHOULD BE. This is a fantastic proper romance (aka, clean; my favorite) that's also a steampunk that's also a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that's also inhabited by ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and who knows what else at this point! I really hope Allen makes this a series, I don't really care if it has sequels or companion novels, I just want more of this awesome world.
(Note: While this is written by an LDS author, it's not an LDS book.)

Underrated Favorites

Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
I feel like a lot of Colfer's stand alone novels are underrated but my favorite among them by far is Half Moon. I've lost count of how many times I've read it and the audio version is great too.
This is funny mystery for middle graders, with a kid detective who thinks he's a hard-boiled private eye, which is absolutely hilarious in the first person narration.
Check out my review here!




Always Neverland by Zoe Barton

This is an after-Peter-Pan Peter Pan adventure. We know that Peter continued finding new mothers for the Lost Boys after Wendy went home and this is what happens when Peter decides to take Ashley to Neverland -but Ashley is more interested in adventures and fighting pirates than playing mother. I know this kind of story has been done a lot, but Always Neverland is the best I've read; Barton does a fantastic job of keeping Neverland and it's inhabitants true to the original while updating it for a modern audience at the same time.
Check out my review here!

The Ever Afters by Shelby Bach
Of course it's on this list! This series is phenomenal and it deserves the love of every school, librarian, and fairy-tale-loving child. No joke.
Check out my reviews for the whole series here!
I also hosted an awesome blog party when the final book came out.





What are some of your favorite underrated books? Newly discovered hidden gems? I'm all ears!

TTT: Halloween Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

(This is technically next week's Top Ten Tuesday, but I had to choose my favorite between the two options for this post. This won out.)

I never really did Halloween growing up. For me, October was all about the annual Dark and Stormy Night murder mystery program my library would host. It included guest mystery authors and a mystery writing contest, so most of my suggestions are more 'creepy' than straight-up 'Halloween'.

Suggested Halloween Reads:

Dracula by Bram Stoker
I'm in the middle of this right now and it's way more than I expected. Granted, having never seen any of the movies or anything, I'm not really sure what I did expect. But this is more than a story of a guy who drinks blood and it's kind of freaking me out. I love it.

I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
Dudes. Dudes. I recently read this book. I haven't posted my review yet, but it's coming and this. Is. Amazing. I'm not into really scary books or gore or slashers or anything and I LOVE THIS BOOK. (I've already finished the series to date, which kind of tells you how much I loved it.) I could not put this down. It's disturbing and amusing and even more disturbing because you're amused by it. It's also deep, with incredible character depth and development, and a fantastic plot for these great characters. This is probably my Most Blown Away Read of the year.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Yes, his name is really Odd. But it fits, because he can see ghosts. Odd Thomas does his best to help them move on to the afterlife, and a lot of times that means solving murders and possibly tangling with demonic forces. I love this series.

Desolate Angel by Chaz McGee
Okay, I'm only 40 pages into this book right now, but I love it. It's the first of the Dead Detective series about the ghost of a homicide detective who failed at everything in life and, in death, finds the chance to fix some of his mistakes and do some good.

Tales from the Haunted Mansion, vol 1: The Fearsome Foursome by Amicus Arcane
I haven't technically started this but it's got to be good, right? IT'S A HAUNTED MANSION BOOK.


Suggested Halloween Movies:


Charade
This is a murder mystery, not a Halloween film. Starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, it's a thriller with lots of laughs -Cary Grant is always good for a laugh- when Hepburn's character discovers her late husband was murdered for something that now belongs to her.

The Thin Man
Just a straight-up, good ol' fashioned murder mystery with lots of laughs and lots of gin. William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora; based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett. (The sequel, After the Thin Man, also stars Jimmy Stewart. Bonus!)

Arsenic and Old Lace
Number one. Numero uno. If you only watch one movie this month, make it this Cary Grant thriller/comedy about a newlywed who finds a body in the window seat. What makes it Halloween appropriate (other than Murder Most Foul)? It all happens on one day. October 31st.

Coraline
Nothing is as creepy as the Other Mother.

Heart and Souls
Halloween? Okay, maybe not. But there are ghosts! Four ghosts are linked to a baby born at the moment of their deaths. When that baby grows up to be a workaholic Robert Downey Jr., the ghosts discover they're meant to use him as a method for completing their unfinished business -whether he likes it or not!

My To-Watch List:
The Mummy, Nosferatu, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, & The Wolfman

What does your Halloween reading/watching forecast look like?

#BookmarkMonday (8) -Confucius

"No matter how busy you are, you must find time for reading or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." -Confucius

My library has a constant flow of weird and wonderful cardstock bookmarks and this is just one of many I've picked up from work.

ANY GUESSES ON WHAT BOOK THIS IS?

REVIEW: The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian
by Andy Weir
Science Fiction
4/5 stars

I grabbed this book because of the movie, like many people probably did. The difference with me is that I really put my foot down about not reading this book. Even when The Martian hit theaters, even when everyone raved about how good it was, I waited until the movie came to the cheap theater in town (months after release) before I saw it. Usually, I'm adamant about reading books before seeing their movie versions, but for this one I was just as adamant I would see the movie first. To be honest, I never expected I would read this book.

Why? Partly because I heard it had a lot of swearing -one of the things I draw the line at- but also because I honestly wasn't sure I'd like the story.

I mean, it's about a guy stranded on Mars, all alone, fighting to survive. Intense? Yeah. Moving? Probably has its moments. But enjoyable? I anticipated an adrenaline-pumping film I'd watch once, maybe twice, but I couldn't see that a story like this would be entertaining enough for more than one evening, not when there weren't even conversations or aliens or anything.

Boy was I wrong.


What made this story was Mark Watney -his personality, his sarcasm, his snarky little asides, and his disparaging remarks about disco music. While the plot of the story is intense and daring, I wouldn't have cared a lick if Watney wasn't such a believable and entertaining personality. Without his jokes, crash course in 70s pop culture, and his random declarations of facts like 'I'm basically a space pirate' (with the undeniably logical explanations, to boot), I would have set this book aside a loooooong time ago.

I mention a lot that I don't like prose and narrative as much as I like dialogue -which is true- but the underlying reason for this is personality. In so many books, I find that the narrative lacks any hint of a character's personality, which is something I really connect with. Take out the personality and what have you got? A block of descriptors with no feeling, that's what. The Martian is bursting with personality, which makes it interesting and entertaining, and it's all because of Mark Watney.

And because Mark Watney was such a likable and interesting character, I found myself reading detailed descriptions of space travel technology, computer programs, NASA regulations, physics and biology. And I don't even like science! (In fact, science overload is one reason I haven't read much sci-fi in the past.) Because Mark Watney is a snarky, entertaining character, he made every one of these subjects interesting by injecting his snark into it. I still can't believe I sat through it all.

If anyone else had written this book -if Andy Weir had chosen any other personality but Mark Watney's with which to tell the story- it would not have been a quarter as interesting as it was. Kudos, Mr. Weir.

There are definite differences between book and movie, as always, but this is one of the best adaptations I've seen. The movie really nailed the core of this book and the story and Matt Damon was amazing; he was even more Mark Watney than Mark Watney in the actual book is. ("I am dipping this potato in crushed Vicodin, because no one can stop me. It has been seven days since I ran out of ketchup.") For this reason, I think I actually enjoy the movie better, but the book is definitely worth a read, because there's still a lot of stuff they couldn't fit into the film.

As a caution to my readers: There IS a lot of swearing in this book; the 'f' word especially is used frequently, by many characters across the board. For the most part, the swearing was used in specific situations or instances. I don't have as much of a problem with the use of swearing in books and movies when it's 'called for'; it's when swearing is used just for the sake of swearing that I can't stand.

TTT: Ten Facts About Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

So funny story.

The very first tag video I ever did on my booktube channel was '25 Facts About Me'. It was a hoot, so for this '10 Facts About Me' topic, I went back to that and picked out my favorite 10 of the lot. (Plus -if you want to know all 25- I included the video! Warning, it was during my early years of vlogging, so it's not stellar quality. Sorry about that.)

1. I'm actually a slow reader. This is really inconvenient for a book reviewer, considering it can take me an hour to read 50 pages. :P

2. I love pizza. I'm not kidding. I could eat it for every meal, for days on end. My bucket list actually includes a Pizza Tour of the world, where I hit up Italy, New York, Chicago, and every other place that has their own style of pizza, just so I can try them all.

3. I collect salt and pepper shakers. But only super awesome ones, you understand. I'll pick up the tourist-y ones sometimes, but what I really love are the sets that are nerdy, fun, or cutesy. Like a hot dog and a bun; neon-colored eyeballs from Halloween; the trash cans from the different sections of Disneyland. (As of my last visit, I own all of them. All seven. Seven. Are you kidding me, Disneyland?! You stopped on an uneven number?!) Growing up, I always wanted to start a collection, but I could never settle on what to start collecting. I finally decided on salt and pepper shakers because that was something one of my grandmother -who died long before I was born, unfortunately- collected. It was kind of a way for me to have a connection with her.

4. Don't freak out on this next one, but I watched The Fellowship of the Ring before I finished the book. At first, my dad even made it a rule that I had to finish the book first. But I was in the Tom Bombadil chapter and he wanted to watch it so bad he rescinded. Soon as I was introduced to Strider in the movie, I read as fast as I could to get to the Prancing Pony.

5. I once owned four copies of the abridged edition of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. At the same time.
I was actually aiming for an unabridged edition.

6. Sometimes, I prefer the movie over the book. This may sound like sacrilege, but occasionally I'll find a movie that I feel better portrays a character, an arc, a relationship, or a scene that just puts it over the book. Even if I don't hold the movie in its entirety over a book, there are often moments that are so much better onscreen than on the page.

7. At night, I check under my pillow for spiders. This isn't a random phobia that just popped up out of the blue one day -one night a spider actually scurried out from under my pillow.
I really hate spiders.

8. I often provide my own sound effects. This can make for a very interesting work environment in a library.

9. Occasionally, I slip into random accents (not always good ones) and funny voices. I do this so often when I'm working or writing, I sometimes forget to hold it in when I'm out in public.

10. Last, but not least, I seriously do burst into random song. Sometimes it's a genuine song -with music and lyrics- but a lot of times I just carry on a conversation or thought by singing it, especially if I'm annoyed with an object. Instead of growling at it, I sing at it.
You blasted piece of garbage/I hate you/I want to crush you

Honorable Mention: I am a conservative American and proud of it!
This one got me a bit of backlash when I posted the original video but the thing is: I'm not ashamed of it; I don't have to defend my position to anyone, let alone an Internet troll; and I'm not here to argue politics anyway. So there you go.

 
By the way, I forced myself out of that weird correlate-the-bookmarks-with-the-book phase. Mostly.

Shelf Control #3 | Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

Shelf Control

hosted by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Shelf Control is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available, and in most cases, sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers.

Frozen Hearty by Elizabeth Rudnick

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
Told in alternating chapters from both Anna's and Hans' perspectives, A Frozen Heart takes a sophisticated look at events of Frozen, exploring the couple's backstories, motivations, and doomed relationship. 

How I got it:
This was a Hanukah present picked out by a few of my Frozen-loving niblings. (You know who you are!)

When I got it:
This would have been December 2015

Why I want to read it:
Aside from the promise extrapolated from me by their mother to read and review any book they sent me, I'm very interested to see something from Hans perspective. While I didn't love-love the film, I liked it well enough, and I always love to see things told from different perspectives. I'm interested whether to see if Hans retains his villainy in this version, or if his backstory changes him into a misused or misunderstood bad guy. Though, honestly, I'm getting really tired of those sympathetic origin stories. They work for some characters, but all right already! Can we just keep the villains villains?

Sorry. Tangent over. :P

What are your favorite or least favorite villain 'back stories'?
What book do you own that you need to finally just read already?

#BookmarkMonday (3): Ticket

Happy Independence Day!!!

#BookmarkMonday
hosted by Aloi @ GuiltlessReading

#BookmarkMonday is a weekly meme that started in 2009.
Click the widget for more details!

I don't have any patriotic bookmarks, so here's this one instead...

This one I made myself. A few years back my mom got a Cricut machine, so my sister and I played around with it a bit. I love this design because books are tickets to anywhere you want to go!

What bookmark do you think best fits the magic of books?

TTT: Ten (or Thirteen) Favorite Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a blog meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish

You might have guessed it, but now that I'm exploring all kinds of new memes here, that means there's one, big, inevitable coming: Top Ten Tuesdays will now be posted on Tuesdays!

Today is a freebie for so I decided to do one I missed in the past: Favorite Heroines. I'm fairly picky about my heroines. While I like a heroine who can handle a gun and hold her own as much as the next gal, I also like heroines to act like women. I also miss the heroines who were strong and capable even without taking up arms. There's a pretty healthy mix going on here and I couldn't even limit it to 10!

1. Vesper Holly

The Vesper Holly Adventures by Lloyd Alexander

Vesper Holly is essentially a teenage, red-haired, female Indian Jones, whose adventures tend to involve political intrigue, coups, or rebellions. Vesper is smart, capable, and confident. She's exactly the kind of heroine young girls should look up to and I was glad I found these books when I was young. Plus, it's written by the master, Lloyd Alexander.

2. Iku Kasahara 

Library Wars: Love and War by Kiiro Yumi

Iku Kasahara is the youngest -and only girl- in a family of brothers, so it's no wonder she grew up a tomboy who's more interested in being a soldier of the Library Defense Force than a simple librarian. She's tough, competitive, determined, and fiery -but she's reckless, too, and she has a hard time coping with all of her emotions. She flails, she bursts into tears all the time, and her reaction when someone asks her out on a date -! I adore Iku Kasahara but she's a strong female character in every sense of the word, but she is such a girl. ^_^

3. Holly Short 

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Holly Short, an elf and an officer of the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance (LEPrecom), is tough, headstrong, and a fantastic police officer. Her empathy and soft heart, alongside her grit and gumption, is what I truly love about Holly. She's in turn tough and gentle; just as likely to punch Artemis in the face as tackle him with a hug.

 
4. Vin
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Vin, at the beginning of the story, is a thief on the streets, eye always on the exit, relying on no one but herself, distrustful of all, and always waiting for the other shoe to drop. She sounds cold, but she's just the opposite. Sanderson gets us in Vin's head; we feel her longing to trust people, her desire to become friends with her new colleagues, but we see her fear, her scars, that keep her from opening herself up to them. Aside from being an amazing, beautifully constructed fantasy (twists! wordbulding! magic system! Brandon Sanderson!), Vin is fantastic character with an incredible character arc.

 
5. Charlotte
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Torn between her and Jane in Austenland, Charlotte wins out because she was a woman whose life has been essentially shattered. Not only has her husband divorced her, but he did so in order to marry the mistress Charlotte was unaware of. Ouch. But she picks herself up! She tries her dog-gone hardest to put herself back together! She has my utmost respect for this. She doesn't spend the book wallowing in self-pity or shying away from any idea of love or kindness like a wounded animal. She faces it, she deals with it, she realizes she is worth more than her ex-husband obviously thought she was and she realizes she deserves better than him. Go, girl!


6. Princess Addie
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine 

If I were a book character, this is probably the closest to any heroine I would be in real life. Princess Addie, unlike her daring and adventurous sword-wielding sister Meryl, is meek, shy, skittish, perfectly happy to stay at home where it's safe, and afraid of everything from dragons to spiders. The only thing that gets her out of the castle, to risk the danger and terror of a life-threatening quest, is the hope to save her brave sister when she is struck with an incurable plague. The greatest heroes are not always the ones who easily brave the dangers, but the ones who must dig down deep to find the strength and bravery to endure.

7. Rory Landon
The Ever Afters by Shelby Bach

Of course Rory Landon is on this list! She wins both for her incredible courage and her intense loyalty to her friends. Even at a point in the series when she is led to believe her two best friends might not be as loyal to her, Rory doesn't let this affect her own loyalty to them and does whatever she can to protect and save them, even if they don't want to be her friends any more.



8. Jenica
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Jena has a head -and the heart- for her father's merchant business. Unfortunately, in 16th century Transylvania, there's not much opportunity for her to pursue this dream, especially after her father is taken ill and Jena and her sisters find themselves under the care of their very traditional minded cousin. Jena is not only burdened with the unwanted advances of her cousin, but also the sole care of her younger sisters when her older sister disappears into a lovesick stupor AND the responsibility of protecting the magical Other Kingdom that her village becomes increasingly intent on destroying.
She's got a lot on her plate and, while she she makes her share of mistakes, she has a lot of heart to support and protect so many.

9. Princess Cimorene
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede

Princess Cimorene is betrothed to a dim-witted prince and, since it doesn't look like being kidnapped by a dragon is an option, she runs away from the palace to find a dragon who'll hire her instead. She has a taste for magic, adventure, and sword-fighting and she doesn't have any qualms of putting a dragon in its place.
What more need I say?




10. Ella
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Now, to my utter shame, I've still only read the first of these, but Christopher Healy's version of Cinderella is fantastic. Not only is she strong of character and personality, but she's thirsty for adventure after so much time locked away by her stepmother. She's a swashbuckling, villain-besting, intelligent heroine and yes I really, really need to finish this trilogy. It's actually the plan right here in the near future.


 
11. Miss Penelope Lumley
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series by Maryrose Wood

 young tutor governess, Miss Penelope Lumley is hired to take on the most peculiar position of training teaching three young children found roaming in the wilds who have heretofore apparently been raised by wolves. Penelope is delightful, gentle, optimistic, and always proper. While the rest of the house's staff cowers from the wolf-like creatures, Penelope only sees the children they are behind the howling and the biting.



12. Celia West
After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn

Celia West is the non-superpowered daughter of the two most beloved super heroes in the world. Their relationship is complicated. She tries to distance herself from them, but it's hard when every other wannabe villain kidnaps her as an attempt to lure out her parents. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but Celia had to endure a lot growing up in her parents' shadow and trying to separate herself from it. She's an emotionally vulnerable woman, plagued with self-doubt and self-loathing, but there's a strength in her too that one would only expect from the daughter of the strongest (and most stubborn) man in the world.


13. Meg Murry
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle

Meg Murry is a fantastic heroine, because she's very ordinary, dealing with ordinary school problems, while surrounded by an extraordinary family. Especially at this age, I think we all feel like the stupidest person in the room and it's nice to see a character dealing with the same struggles. But what I love most about Meg -what really makes my heart cheer- is that she doesn't save the day with brains or brawn, but with the deep, endless ocean of love she has for her little brother. That is a beautiful character.



Who are some of your favorite heroines?

Teaser Tuesday #1

I was all set to post my Top Ten Tuesday list this morning when I realized I skipped this week's topic and gone straight into next weeks! Well, at least you know I'm all set for that one. But this gives me a chance to try out another Tuesday meme.

Teaser Tuesday

hosted by MizB @ Books And A Beat

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:



"He should have taken more care of her face? She would knock his nose from his face."

Page 90, Graceling by Kristin Cashore

#BookmarkMonday (1): Laugh It Up Fuzzball

Another day, another meme! And what's a better fit for me than #BookmarkMonday?

#BookmarkMonday
hosted by Aloi @ GuiltlessReading

#BookmarkMonday is a weekly meme that started in 2009.
Click the widget for more details!

My gosh, you guys, my bookmark collection is *huge*. If I don't have more bookmarks than books, than it's a close call. I'm so excited to share them with you -from the awesome, to the weird and the random, to the downright nostalgic. (Seriously, why have I never thought of this before?)

First up, I have to share one of my all-time favorites:

It may be a tiny bookmark, but that makes it the perfect size for my paperback Star Wars books! I don't like my bookmarks that poke out at the top or bottom too much because, like I said, I love my bookmarks and don't want to see them bent or torn or crumpled when I tote my books around. (Yes. It's possible I would cry.)

My sister -ridiculously talented as she is- made this for me as a birthday gift last year. Thanks again, sis!

Are you a bookmark person? Or a person who views everything as a potential bookmark?

Harry Potter Moment of the Week #1: Would you have wanted to explore the Shrieking Shack?

Here is the first step in my journey of finding compatible book blog memes!

Harry Potter Moment of the Week

started and hosted by Leah @ Uncorked Thoughts

& co-hosted by Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

Harry Potter Moment of the Week: Would you have wanted to explore the Shrieking Shack?

Let me answer this with a gif or two...

You tell me about the Shrieking Shack, grisly legends all:

You take me close enough to hear that, yes, it really is shrieking:

You ask me if I want to exploring:

 

So, no. No I would not have wanted to explore the Shrieking Shack.

Just another reason I'm a reader, not a main character. ;)

Now, I'm not going to be able to do the Harry Potter Moments every week because, well, I haven't finished the series yet. Spoilers, and all that. (Hey, don't give me that look! I'm almost finished! And I only started a few months ago!)

And what about you?

Would you have wanted to explore the Shrieking Shack?  

TTT: Beach Reads II

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme from The Broke and the Bookish. I just don't post on Tuesdays. ;)

As this is my second installment of the Beach Reads theme (sanctified bovine, has it already been a year!?), I don't want to go repeating myself. Last year, bonafide definition of 'beach read' in hand, I scoured my past reads for any title that matched with the description. This year, I'm throwing the definition out of the window. I'm not much of a trend follower any way. So here, in no particular order, are ten books that I wouldn't mind reading on a beach. Not that I'll be reading on a beach any time soon. [sad face]

1. Pop Sonnets: Shakespeare Spins on Your Favorite Songs by Erik Didriksen
Oh my freaking heck. This book is brilliant. Didriksen has rewritten everything from Living on a Prayer to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as SHAKESPEARE STYLE SONNETS. They're hysterical, clever, and none of them is even a page long, so perfect for light beach reading.
Plus, SHAKESPEARIAN POP SONGS.

2. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Not exactly a 'light' read, but it's so strange and ridiculously funny it would make a good beach read all the same. The first book in Fforde's series featuring literary detective, Thursday Next, it takes place in an alternate reality where the Crimean War is still being fought and people take literature very seriously. Like incite gang wars over the true identity of Shakespeare seriously. And yes, you read that right: in the midst of such a world, Thursday is a literary detective. Each book in the series, er, involves a literary classic, and the classic for this one is Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.
I have read this; I loved it. To my shame, I haven't read any more of the series. I was young enough the first time I read it, that most of the political and historical changes in the alternate reality went completely over my head. I think I'd understand much more of it now. And since this would be a reread, it wouldn't suffer tremendously at the distractions one might find at a beach.

3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is on a lot of my lists. Great story, beautiful and dark magic, and such a colorful world. It is a love story, but it's not just a love story. There's so much more unfolding here than that alone. In fact, the pair of lovers aren't even my favorite characters. Another thing that's fascinating about this book -aside from the skillfully crafted story- is the non-linear timeline in which its told. This book is candy to me. I've read it once a year since I discovered it and I'm due for another taste.

4. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
I have read this book on a beach. It's a fond memory. And it's a book I need to reread anyway. Especially if there's a chance for the Wheel of Time series to come to television. Seriously, I am so excited about this prospect.

5. Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales
Fairy tales. For time lords. This is both a retelling of classic fairy tales with a specific brand of science fiction twist, AND an extension of the Time Lord universe, as the tales within are actually touted as the fairy tales of the Time Lords. Can't you just picture the Doctor as a child, listening to these fairy tales?

6. Artemis Fowl/Supernaturalist/The Wish List/Airman/Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
These are my all-time go-to books. Bored? Need something to cheer me up? Need a laugh? Just need to inspire myself with a fantastic book? No problem. I grab one of these off my Colfer shelf. Yes. I HAVE AN EOIN COLFER SHELF.

THAT IS HOW MUCH I LOVE THE WORK OF THIS MAN.

7. The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
It seems appropriate to read these outdoors and there is never a bad time to take these up for a re-read.

8. William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher
Why not? They're short, perfect for reading aloud in a gentle murmur, and you won't mind (too much) being interrupted because you already know the story. You better know the story already.

9. A book of fairy tales and/or mythology
I love fairy tales and mythologies from all over the world. They're not only interesting and -many of them- unheard of for me in the wake of 'popular' fairy tales, but they also make excellent fodder for a fantasy writer, especially when she's in the middle of fairy tale-centric project. ;)
Fairy tales, for the most part, are short stories, so it's easily broken down into bite-sized pieces for the moments in-between all the beach fun.

10. TBD
Going on vacation is the perfect time to grab that book you've been 'meaning' to read for ages. Or that book you bought last year that you haven't gotten around to yet. Make that book your beach read. Check it off your TBR list!

What's on your Beach Reads list?

TTT: Books I Picked Up On A Whim

Top Ten Tuesday is a super fantabulous book blog meme, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a fun one. What books have you picked up on a whim, whether at the library, Barnes & Noble, or the used book store? Mine are hard to narrow down to just ten, but I'll give it a go.

1. Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn
Long before I delved into the massive and complex Extended Universe of Star Wars, I fell in love with the science fiction works of Timothy Zahn through his Dragonback series for young adults. This was the perfect find for my teenage self who was obsessed with fantasy but hadn't discovered much exciting in the way of sci-fi (namely L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time and Annette Curtis Klause's Alien Secrets). Featuring a 14-year-old protagonist, Jack Morgan, who is a thief and conman and his new companion, a dragon-like alien called a K'da named Draycos, who can switch between three- and two-dimensional forms and needs a host to survive, on whose back he stretches out, like a dragon tattoo.
It's action-packed: Jack must help Draycos save his people from extinction at the hands of their enemies by pulling off one con after another to gather information.
It's fun: Jack's uncle has some of THE BEST swearing substitute exclamations. Plus, SPACE HEISTS. LIVING DRAGON TATTOO.
The concept was mind-boggling: Did I mention the TWO-DIMENSIONAL aliens? For a girl who hadn't read much sci-fi, this was a mind-blowing idea.

2. Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
I was looking for a very specific book to scratch an itch. Long story short, there was a book I wanted to write (and am still working on) that has a very particular feel to it and I had been searching for any books to help me nail that feeling down. From the cover, description, and writing style, I thought it would be this book. It wasn't. Unfortunately, it also turned out to be a book I didn't like, not because it wasn't what I was looking for, but because its Literary Fiction style made me impatient and I found the ending -and subsequently the story- wholly unsatisfying. But you can check out my review with all the juicy details right here.
For anyone interested, I did find a few books more in tune with the 'feel' I was looking for: The Ghost in Love by Jonathon Carroll, which was an interesting story, and The Returned by Jason Mott, which I adored, and don't seem to have reviewed. Apologies.

3. Toads & Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

This was a thrift shop find and it was the title and cover that really sold me on it. 'Toads & Diamonds' is obviously a retelling of the classic fairy tale, while the cover shows what is clearly a young woman from an Indian or Middle Eastern culture. Jackpot.
I haven't had the chance to read this yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

4. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Believe it or not, I was actually on track when this fanbase broke out. I picked up a copy on a whim from Fred Meyer of all places, because I was earning my own money for the first time doing odd jobs. I saw it, I kind of wanted it, and I realized I actually had money to buy it.
I consumed this book about book lovers and books literally coming to life faster than you can say 'duct tape', dragged my sister down the same rabbit hole, and we've been fans of Funke's ever since.

5. Larklight by Philip Reeve
Victorian England -if they had discovered steampunk space travel. With pirates. And aliens. And sentient top hats.
I honestly don't remember if this was recommended to me or something I just picked up. As a kid, my sister and I walked to our local library almost every afternoon after we finished schoolwork and we would spend hours picking through the bookshelves looking for hidden gems. This was just one among many we found one stack hauled home at a time. And can you believe all that book hauling didn't give me muscles? Like, any muscles?

6. Almost everything published by Future House Publishing
Okay, so there's a reason for this. Future House recently had a huge Star Wars giveaway/contest/blowout sale for May the Fourth and a load of their ebooks were up for 0.99. I only perused the titles out of curiosity because I don't have a Kindle and I dislike reading books on my computer. But, but, but THEN I realized Future House was behind Marrow by Preston Norton, which I read and reviewed in the height of my superhero fiction craze and I LOVED it.
So I bought all the ebooks they had on sale. Literally. I now have almost 20 ebooks on my PC's Kindle app I can't wait to try out. I'll just need to configure a comfortable seating arrangement for it all. (Pinterest, maybe?) They're mostly YA, which is a genre I have a love/hate relationship with. There are so many books there I want to like, but I usually wind up disappointed. So why did I decide to buy so freaking many? Part of my 'thing' as a book reviewer is to support smaller publishing companies and, considering how much I loved Marrow, this is both my thanks for that book and my hope that everything they produce is just as good. We'll see how they all stack up.
For anybody curious, here's the master list:

That Girl, Darcy by James Ramos (gender-swapped Pride and Prejudice story)*

Sands & Storms by Kevin L. Nielsen

Caretaker & Guardians by Josi Russell

Dawn of Procyon by Mark R. Healy (touted as The Martian with aliens)

Beat by Jared Garrett

Etherwalker by Cameron Dayton (seriously awesome manga-style cover art)

Sherlock Academy & Sherlock Academy: Watson's Case by F.C. Shaw
Chum by Adam Glendon Sidwell*

Parrish by Shannen Crane Camp (love story with ghost hunters)

Got Luck by Michael Darling* (compared with Dresden Files, which is a concept I love, but a book I couldn't get through, so I'm hoping this one will act as a suitable alternative)

Lakhoni by Jared Garrett

The Hunger by Michael D. Young

The Stone Bearers by Jacque Stevens

Resurgent Shadows by Kevin L. Nielsen

Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp* (popular cheerleader/mean girl who's actually a closet gamer geek)

Marrow by Preston Norton

*Titles I'm most excited to read

7. After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn
Yet another I found during my superhero fiction craze a few summers ago -when I searched 'superheroes' on my library catalogue to find everything I could. It was not at all what I was expecting and it was fantastic. I'm also just remembering I never got around to writing a review on it. I should work on that. I did give it a 4/5 star rating and I've been itching to read it again.

8. Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jen Swann Downey
Why this book? Ninja + Librarians. I literally needed not other encouragement to check this one out, but it also had fun cover art AND it referenced The Princess Bride within the first chapter. With a main character who loves books, her library, and sword fighting, this is a fictional version of me as a child. Plus a brother who quotes Star Wars all the time. ALL. THE. TIME.
And excuse me for a moment, because I just realized the sequel is coming out next month and I need to go request an ARC...

9. Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
It was the dawn of My Adventures in Science Fiction and I was on the prowl for another good sci-fi to sink my teeth into. I saw this audiobook at work and debated it for a good five minutes. If I wanted to delve into sci-fi, I reasoned, John Scalzi would be a good place to start because, not being a sci-fi reader, even I know who John Scalzi is. On that same note, if he's such a big name in sci-fi, it's entirely possible he would write exactly the kind of sci-fi I don't like.
What really sold me was the fact that Wil Wheaton narrates it. I'd heard Wheaton had started narrating, but I had yet to experience it for myself. "Two birds with one stone."
The book turned out to be hilarious, Wheaton's narration fantastic, and it also made me loosen up a little on swears in books. Not too much, but just enough to start really enjoying more adult fiction.

Last but not least...

10. Of Giants and Ice by Shelby Bach
The one, the only, the first installment of the Ever Afters series no one can get me to shut up about. Released only about a year, I stumbled on this goldmine browsing my library. (Fun fact: I picked it up at the same time as The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, both because of their colorful and fun cover art.) If you don't know how this story ends, you can check out my reviews for the whole series, as well as my first ever Blog Party thrown in honor of the series finale.
Note: Just recently my sister told me that her oldest finally read the copy I sent for her birthday and SHE LOVES IT. They went out and bought the whole series and now I just have to wait.

I'm dying to know some of yours, good and bad!
What books have you picked up on a whim?
Did you love or regret them?