It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: thankful freebie. I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but I can’t help getting caught up in the thankful spirit that’s been going around in the book community lately. 2019 has been a year of… a lot. A lot of everything. In many ways I feel like this year has been one of extremes with either many high-highs and many low-lows, which has been incredibly trying. This basically means that I’ve been a hot-emotional-mess for 90% of the year, including right now! But before I become even more emotional, let’s get to what I’m thankful for this year. As this is a freebie, I’ve decided to keep it simple and write a list of all the bookish and non-bookish things I’m thankful for. Of course, I’ll try to keep it as bookish as possible 😉 Here we go:
It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favourites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite character team ups! This prompt was a little confusing for me — I wasn’t sure what exactly was meant by it when I first read it and I don’t know if I’m interpreting it correctly in my post, so this might be pretty short! For this prompt, I’ve decided to keep it simple and look at the books that have some of my favorite squads and are total goals 😍
Just the other day, the wonderful Mani @ Mani’s Book Corner for The Sunshine Blogger Award! Thank you so much for the nomination, Mani! Mani is one of the sweetest and most supportive bloggers that I’ve met in my time here and so I suggest that you quickly head on over to their page if you aren’t already following them! *shoo*
I’ve been nominated for this award once or twice now, but I’ve only got around to answering it once. I’m so very terrible with the tags and awards, aren’t I? But on that note, let’s get straight into it before I drive myself to complete distraction!
This is another one that I wasn’t tagged to do but I saw it ages ago on Hâf’s page and decided that I felt like doing an easy Wednesday tag (I’m realizing that a weekly trend might be developing now)! So let’s get going:
You have 20,000 books on your TBR, how do you decide what to read next?
I’m a mood reader so it would depend entirely on what mood I’m in? Honestly, I’ve been thinking of making a TBR jar where I write down all the books I own on a slip of paper, put them in the jar and randomly pick one every time I finish a read. But again, mood reader!
It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favourites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite hyped books! Oh, the hype. It’s something that all of us are familiar with and all have different reactions to, right?
Some readers feel FOMO and immediately race out to buy whatever book is currently all over the gram. Some wait a little while for the hype to die down before caving and reading the book. Others stay as far away from hyped books as possible and sometimes never pick them up until the hype is completely dead and years have passed, if ever. I’m pretty much a mix of all of these reactions — sometimes I can’t stand the FOMO and race out to get the book ASAP, but most of the time I wait until the hype dies down a little before I cave. To be honest though, most times when I get the book as soon as it comes out, I usually let it linger on my shelf (unintentionally!) and next thing you know, the next hyped book is out, that ‘old-new’ book stays untouched, and the cycle continues 😂 There are SO MANY HYPED BOOKS coming out all the time, I feel like I can never keep up, and so (mostly) I don’t. Pretty much all of the books mentioned below have already made countless repeat appearances on my blog (sorry I’m boring!) so it’s no surprise that they’re coming back again as my favorites!
With such a long introduction, I’m going to keep this short and sweet by sticking with sharing the book covers. These are just 20 of the most hyped books that I could think of (lies, they’re the books that are already in my media gallery but all of them are hyped)!
Do you recognize all of these hyped books?Would any of them make your list of favorite hyped reads or am I the only one who loves them?
Despite having a million tags that I was actually tagged in but haven’t done yet *cough* I saw this tag on Emer’s page a while ago and decided that it was a fun quick tag that I wanted to do! Don’t you just love book tags?!
ADAPTATION SNOB: Do you always read the book before seeing the film?
I’d be lying if I said “yes, always” because *looks at LOTR* but for the most part I do! There are so many adaptations (both films and shows) that I haven’t watched yet because I haven’t read the book and I’ve convinced myself that I’ll want to read the book first so, yeah. I swear I’ll get to all you beauties eventually!
FORMAT SNOB: You can only choose 1 format in which to read books for the rest of your life. Which one do you choose: physical books, eBooks, or audiobooks?
BUT WHY? I want to say ebooks because I travel so much and I’d love to be able to keep all my books with me wherever I go for always, but… Do I really think I could ever give up physical books? Nup! Physical books it is then! 😂
SHIP SNOB: Would you date or marry a non-reader?
UM… In a perfect world I’d only date people who read lol I mean, that’d be really ideal. But… I guess I’m not opposed to dating a non-readerIF they’re understanding about what books and the book community mean to me! If a person can’t support me with my bookish love then buh-bye. Sorry not sorry–ain’t nobody got time for that!
GENRE SNOB: You have to ditch one genre – never to be read again for the rest of your life. Which one do you ditch?
Hah, this isn’t hard because I am the ultimate chicken and I rarely, if ever, read this genre: I would ditch horror in a heartbeat! 😅
UBER GENRE SNOB: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life. Which genre do you choose?
I… I don’t know! Part of me really wants to say contemporary romance because I’M A SUCKA FOR DA LOVES but I’m gonna go with contemporary fiction. Even though I feel like I’m betraying my fantasy love by saying that, please see Darcy gif above and forgive me 😅
COMMUNITY SNOB: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: ROMANCE! Why do people have such a strong dislike towards romance? I mean, my reading about romance doesn’t affect you so why does it matter what I enjoy? I will say that I’m glad to see more non-romance readers opening up to reading the genre lately and finding that they enjoy it! It’s a sweet satisfaction 😏
Now wasn’t that a fun tag? Don’t forget to tag me if you do this tag so I can see your answers too!
It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favourites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite inspiring characters! I skipped last Friday’s post because I was feeling completely drained and wholly uninspired, but I’m back and feeling a little more inspired (apt, considering the prompt 😉)! This is going to be tough to choose though; I know I’ve encountered many inspiring characters in books, but I admit that my memory makes it difficult to keep track of this sometimes 😅 That said, here’s a list of five of some of my favorite inspiring characters! They’re not in any particular order and honestly, they’re the first ones that came to my mind for this prompt lol
Isabelle & Vianne from The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah This is a two-fer because although both sisters were like day and night in terms of personalities, but the strength, resilience and courage they displayed in the face of unimaginable horrors, although presented in different ways, were as equally inspiring. I loved these sisters.
Tierney James from The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Tierney is a survivor. She had to face the horror of having her peers turn against her and she had to face unknown demons alone in the outside world just to survive The Grace Year. Despite facing so much cruelty and torture, she was still full of compassion and kindness, and she takes a stand against a society that would see her and other women kill each other rather than be empowered.
Photo Credit: Erika Doss
Starr Carter from The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas I mean, do I even have to give justification for this? I can’t begin to fathom having to experience losing a friend in front of your face so unjustly. She faces everything head on with determination, courage, and such great strength! She is incredibly inspiring and I’m sure no one would disagree.
Romy Silver from The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James Imagine being completely isolated light years away from the closest human being and then you suddenly find yourself blindsided by a threat you didn’t even know was coming. What Romy did to survive, the smarts she utilised despite being almost paralyzed by her fear was hella inspiring!
Esme Tran from The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang Unfortunately what Esme does to build a better life for herself, her daughter and mother is not an uncommon scenario for many. But she faces her challenges, which range from dealing with meddling strangers, learning a new language, being in a foreign country, not to mention dealing with love, all head on and with a fierce determination that’s very inspiring!
Who are some of your favorite inspiring characters? Wow, I just realized that all the characters I mentioned are women 😏 Hells yeah, inspiring women of the book world!Let’s chat in the comments!
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!
This Sunday I would’ve liked to spend the day in bed with Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan. I’m about 100+ pages into the story and while I’ve found it interesting while reading it, it’s taking a bit more time than I anticipated to get into it. The one “complaint” that many have mentioned about this book are the names and I have to agree that it can be quite confusing/trying. I thought there would be a glossary for how to say the names but apparently not… To be honest, I find myself going over the names repeatedly trying to sound them out in my head which sidetracks me from the actual story 😂 I do like it so far though, but hopefully I’ll get more into it tonight! I have a feeling once the action really picks up I won’t be able to put it down! Let’s see if my gut proves right on this… I really hope I like it because I got granted the second book as an e-ARC last month! 🙈
A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.
Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war. In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light.
Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy..
What are you currently reading?
Holy wow, it’s the first Sunday of November already! I feel like I’ve been sounding like a broken record every time I say this, but it’s absolutely true. I can’t believe the whole year has gone so quickly–where has the time all gone?! I can already feel all the October energy draining out of me and so I’m hoping that means I’ll be able to really settle into my routine from this week onwards. I’ve spent a portion of this weekend working (unfortunately) since the week had been frustrating with my brand new laptop breaking down (again) and pissing me right off. I regret moving on from my old laptop, which despite slowing down after 6 years of use, never actually gave me much trouble. Unlike this new one 🙄 I know it seems so trivial but I need a fast, functioning laptop for work as I design materials and the office laptops just can’t handle the design programs. *Le Super Sigh* but… not going to dwell on that. It is what it is, right?!
I went to watch Joker today and wow, friends. The movie doesn’t have the best ratings on Rotten Tomatoes but I still really enjoyed it! I thought Joaquin Phoenix gave such an incredible performance and (once again), I can’t imagine the impact getting into a role such as this would have on someone’s psyche. It was such a dark movie. But what can you expect when it’s a movie about how the Joker becomes the Joker? It was pretty heartbreaking? I mean, he’s definitely a psychopath but the system (and everyone in his life) really failed him and while I obviously don’t jam with all the killing, I really sympathized with his character. If you’re up for watching a movie that focuses more on character development and a little less on plot, and of course a story that’s psychologically dark, then I’d recommend it!
Reading & Blogging Recap
Although this week was a lot more chill compared to the previous weeks, I still only managed to finish two books during the week. I haven’t been doing much book reading this week but I have become obsessed with Webtoons. Some of these webtoons are damn amazing and whenever I discover a new one, I always get sucked right in and don’t stop reading until I find that I’ve devoured over 100 episodes in about two nights? Yeah, I definitely got sucked down the Webtoons Vortex this week and I have no regrets! Do any of you read Webtoons? Any favorites I should check out ASAP?
I think I’ve been doing better on the blogging front this week although I still ended up skipping two fo my weekly memes on Friday and Saturday. I was just not feeling inspired and knew I would struggle too much to write something so I just passed on them, but maybe I will catch up in the future! I’m still trying to get back into engaging more with other bloggers. Damn, that one week really sent me tripping huh? I’m sorry that I haven’t been as active with likes and comments on here as I was before. I don’t know what’s wrong with me–my brain just feels extra fried at the end of every work day and I don’t have the energy to spend more time behind the screen. I’ve definitely felt the loss to my blog though (and honestly I do feel a small part of me has fallen flat from not engaging) but I’m really trying my best to get back into the groove! For now, in case you missed any of my posts from this week, you can check them out below!
I wasn’t tagged by Emer @ A Little Haze to do this tag (lol) but I saw it on her page and knew that I wanted to hop right on it because not only did it look like fun but my memory sucks major suckage and I wanted to see how it would do in a challenge like this! So, without further ado, let’s do this.
The Rules
You must answer these questions without looking anything up on the internet and without looking at your bookshelves!(Pretty simple, right?)
1. NAME A BOOK WRITTEN BY AN AUTHOR CALLED MICHAEL
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I’m finding myself just a little pathetic for getting so excited about getting this one straight out the bat.
2. NAME A BOOK WITH A DRAGON ON THE COVER
GAME OF THRONES! I mean… Obviously? Lol
3. NAME A BOOK ABOUT A CHARACTER CALLED GEORGE
Curious George! You know, the children’s book with the curious and entirely cheeky little monkey called George? I really don’t know how this was the first book that came to mind lol
4. NAME A BOOK WRITTEN BY AN AUTHOR WITH THE SURNAME SMITH
Welp, I spoke too soon. I cannot for the life of me recall any author with the last name Smith!*walks away grumbling in shame and defeat*
5. NAME A BOOK SET IN AUSTRALIA
IT’S THAT BOOK BY BILL BRYSON! Is it called Australia? Down Under? Does this count as a correct answer?! I hope so… I know he wrote a book about Australia…
6. NAME A BOOK WITH THE NAME OF A MONTH IN THE TITLE
The Ten Thousand Doors of January! Woot, I’m so glad that I literally just bought this book on BD not 10 minutes ago!
7. NAME A BOOK WITH A KNIFE ON THE COVER
My Lovely Wife!! I know there are different covers for this one but I’m thinking about the white one where the wife is holding the knife and you see the reflection of hubbo in it. I have the other boring one on my Kindle lol
8. NAME A BOOK WITH THE WORD ‘ONE’ IN THE TITLE
One Day in December 😍 BAHA! I almost got stuck with this one. Thank you, brain!
9. NAME A BOOK WITH AN EPONYMOUS TITLE
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell Wow, I didn’t think this would be the first one to pop into my head because I haven’t read it yet but I’ve been meaning to read it for ages and *just* downloaded it onto my Kindle library!
10. NAME A BOOK TURNED INTO A MOVIE
The Shining by Stephen King Yay for having just mentioned this book on my TTT this week! Good thing too because sadly I’m pretty sure my brain would’ve scrambled thinking too hard about this one and then blanking out lol
AAND THAT’S IT! I think I actually did OK? I missed two… But yeah, that’s better than I thought I would do 😅 That was totally fun! Feel free to do this tag too and link back to me so that I can see your answers!
It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favourites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite magic wielders! This is oddly enough something I’ve never thought about closely despite reading many fantasies that have magical worlds, wielders and other elements. Would this also include witches? Is it cheating to include witches? this list is compiled of the first five names that came to mind when I thought of magicians/magic wielders/witches. I know that I’ve missed out on some greats (first thought was really to Harry Potter but that’s stating the obvious, right?)!
Sorry it’s gonna be a short one though coz this day/week has been long AF!
dinipandareads 