Top Ten Tuesday: Most Owned Authors

First off- a note to you guys. Even though I'm pretty certain no one really follows my blog, I'm sorry for not being very active on my blog lately! Things have been a little... hectic. With my trip to Washington DC, and a visit to my Aunt's house for a few days, I haven't gotten much free time.
Second off- welcome to another top ten tuesday courtesy of The Broke and The Bookish. Today, we're sharing our top ten most owned authors. I'll try to list these in order, maybe

1) Erin Hunter. I own 18 books by Erin Hunter. Eighteen. Even I didn't know I owned that many. Yet somehow I managed to fit them all into the space of half a bookshelf? Here's a really grainy pic of all the books I own by her (on the other side of the yellow book is a book called "Crookedstar's Promise" that I couldn't fit)
(also I have two books that also aren't in the picture because they were too tall to fit on that bookshelf):

There are so many of them they don't all fit in the camera shot!

2) Rick Riordan. With a slightly less startling five books. I used to have seven books written by him, but I can't seem to find where they disappeared to.

Why yes, yes that is a Totoro Doll you see.

 

3) Michael Scott. I have five books by him also, which are his "Secrets of Immortal Nicholas Flamel" series (which is an awesome series), except I don't have the Warlock sadly. Until then, here's the five books I do own:

 

 

4) Jonathon Stroud. I have three books of his, the boxset of "The Bartimaeus Trilogy". My dad bought it for me for my birthday one year at a used books store for really cheap.

 

5) J.K. Rowling I have three books of hers I believe. I bought the boxset of "Quidditch Through The Ages" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" right before the Borders near me closed. Then I also have Goblet of Fire which I got on my eighth birthday.

 

 

6) Cornelia Funke. One of my favorite authors! I have 4 of her books, which have all been very loved as you can tell through the spines of most of them...

 



7) CS Lewis. How could I forgot to put him earlier? I have all of the Narnia books. It was the first box set I ever recieved and I remember being mighty proud of it. This was one of my favorite series when I was younger, and it still is!

 

Also well-loved, as you can probably tell.

 





8) Tony Diterlizzi. Unless I'm missing something (which is entirely possible) that's it for my "3+" books authors. I have tons of authors that I own two books of, so I'll be choosing these next three for various different reason. I have two books of Mr. Diterlizzi's, and these books are massive, with absolutely  stunning art inside them!

 

 

9) Jeanne Birdsall.  I love Ms. Birdsall's series, the Penderwicks. It is my favorite middle grade series of all time, and probably just one of my favorite series period. It's a great fun read, and I feel like I can connect a lot to Jane from when I was younger. I own the first two books of the Penderwicks series.

 



10) Kim Stanley Robison. And finally, I chose this book to show that yes, I do own a variety of books. Both of these are Adult Sci-Fi books, but they aren't from the same series.

 

 

And... that's it! That's all I have for you today. Do you own any of these books? Perhaps you've read them? Thanks so much for reading. 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Deserted Island

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Broke and Bookish. I know it's Wednesday, but shh--! I'll still sneak this in. Yesterd--ahem, today's topic is top ten characters you'd bring with you on a deserted island.

1. Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles mostly because I have a feeling her cyborg parts could help us out if we got in trouble.

2. Wolf from The Lunar Chronicles because he's a great fighter. If something tried to attack me then I could get him to fight it off.

3. Gandalf from The Lord Of The Rings because he's very wise and all-knowing. And maybe he could call on his Eagle Friends to fly us out of there.

4. Legolas from The Lord Of The Rings because he's an elf who probably could find food for us somehow.

5. Lucy from The Chronicles Of Narnia because she has a knack for finding things and hopefully those things might, in this case, include food or a boat or a cool portal through a palm tree into another land.

6. Percy from Percy Jackson and The Olympians because he's the son of the Posedon! And maybe he could talk to the fishes and ask them for survival stuff. Plus we need a little laughter in our time at the deserted island.

7. Annabeth from Percy Jackson and The Olympians because she's really smart, and a great architect, so I'd be counting on her to build us a huge treehouse.

8. Katniss from The Hunger Games because she obviously knows a lot about how to survive anywhere-- hopefully a deserted island as well.

9. Han Alister from The Seven Realms Series because he's rather good at the whole surviving thing.

10. Howl from Howl's Moving Castle because hello, magic. Also I'd just want him there with me on the deserted island.

So, those are my picks. Sorry they were late!

SLC: Library Scavenger Hunt!

So, this week on Summer Library Challenge (hosted by the lovely Book Monsters) it was time to do a Scavenger Hunt! This one was so much fun and it really forced me to try and discover new things! I'm sad that this challenge is coming to an end, and I really hope they host it again next summer.


1. Go to your favorite section of the library. Close your eyes and feel out, picking a random book. If it’s a book you haven’t read before, see if it’s one you would like and then check it out and read it.
I went to the YA section of the library, and chose a shelf at random. Then I closed my eyes and picked out...
Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

2. Go to a section of the library you’ve never been to and pick out a book you normally wouldn’t.
For this one I went to the manga section because that's somewhere I don't go often plus it was nearby...
Hikaru no Go Vol. 1 story by Yumi Hotta

3. Talk to your reference librarian, ask them a question (or two), skip the computer and go straight to the source to help you find something.
I didn't accomplish this one... oops.

4. If you normally use self checkout, go to an actual circulation clerk to check out. Or opposite.
Okay, the only reason I did this was because the self chechkout refused to check out one of my books and kept coming up with an error message. Luckily, the circulation clerk did not do the same.

5. Find a movie, CD, or other non-print item to check out.
Uh... I didn't do this one either. Does an anthology of short stories count? I don't think I've ever checked out an anthology before, so I checked out...
Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbaleister

There we have it, library goodness! I suppose this also turned into a bit of a "Library Haul" so that can count. Hehe. See you next time!

Thursday Thoughts On Spoilers

Thursday Thoughts is a weekly meme held by Ok, Let's Read. This week the topic is "Spoilers".

My opinions on spoilers are conflicted. First off, let me begin by saying that: I don't like surprises. At all. Not even good surprises. (Except for presents. Yay, presents!) So alot of the time I ask people what happens in a book. If I want to know spoilers, then I ask for them from people. However, when people say or post spoilers without warning, that's when I don't like spoilers.
Because yes, I don't mind spoilers, as long as you give me fair warning.
And okay, I'll be honest here and say that when I see the warning on Goodreads or wherever, something deep inside of me (not that deep inside of me) can't help seeing what it is. I can't help myself, ok? I know spoilers ruin the book for alot of people, but for me it just gives me time to brace myself.
And, as a disclaimer, I will say that I never spill spoilers without fair warning, even if it would be a smallish spoiler.
So that's all I have for this topic today. What are your opinions on spoilers?

Marry Kiss Cliff Book Tag

So, this is a tag that actually originated on YouTube, but I really wanted to try it out because hello, it looked awesome and fun and yeah. I first watched it here but there are a billion other videos on it too. Pretty much it's like the title says. You put names of your fictional crushes (or just fictional characters in general) into a mug or hat or what have you, draw out three names, choose which one you would marry, which you would kiss, and which you would cliff.

Without further ado, let's get started:

Round One:

Harry Potter (Harry Potter Series)
Peter (Narnia Series)
and
Edmund (Narnia Series)

Marry Peter
Kiss Harry
Cliff Edmund

Round Two:

Leo Valdez (Heroes of Olympus)
Grover (Percy Jackson Series)
Seamus Finnigan (Harry Potter Series)

Marry Seamus
Kiss Leo
Cliff Grover

Round Three:

Howl (Howl's Moving Castle)
Captain Carswell Thorne (Lunar Chronicles)
Augustus Waters (Fault in our Stars)

My first thought was "Squee, Howl!"

Marry Howl (!)
Kiss Thorne
Cliff Augustus (Sorry, Gus)

Round Four:

Pippin Took (Lord of the Rings)
Ron Weasley (Harry Potter)
Four (Divergent)

Again, I squee-d out loud when I saw Pippin's name because I'm way too much of a fangirl. Hah.

Marry Pippin, of course
Kiss Ron
Cliff Four

Round Five:

Han Alister (Seven Realms Series)
Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson Series)
Prince Kai (Lunar Chronicles)

This one was hard.

Marry Percy
Kiss Han
Cliff Kai (I love you Kai)

Final Round:

Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit)
Maxon (The Selection Trilogy)
Fire Dancer (The Demon King)
Bilbo though! Yas! And Dancer! Augh this is so difficult! (The problems of a Fangirl)

Marry Bilbo
Kiss Dancer
Cliff Maxon

There you have it, my pointless but very fun to make post. Do you agree with any of my descisions? Disagree with any of them? If you do this meme yourself then I'd love to check it out. Thanks for stopping by.

Beautiful People Meme (July 2014)

 

 

I am back from vacation! I took lots of pictures of the monuments and memorials I visited while in Washington DC. It sure is good to be home though! And because that had absolutely nothing to do with the task at hand, I'll now introduce this meme again. I did last month (I was the last to link up... but no more! Onward!) It is hosted by Notebook Sisters and Further Up and Further In so if you are an aspiring author, or write at all, give this meme a try!

 

Today's character is one that popped into my head a few weeks ago and hasn't left since. He doesn't even have a last name yet, but his first name is ... Pierre!

 

1) What’s their favourite food? (Bonus: favourite flavor of chocolate!) I don't know. Something sweet, probably candy or pie or other sweets.
2) What do they absolutely hate? Being bossed around. He's only seven years old, and is sort of in that "You aren't the boss of me" phase.
3) What do they enjoy learning about? Well, he doesn't exactly enjoy learning because he thinks it's a waste of time. But if you know something about a language that he doesn't know, then he will constantly ask you "What is ____ in *insert language here*?"
4) Who is the most influential person in their life? He lives in the alleyways by himself most of the time, but he does get help from Guisieppe alot of the time. (Obviously, he can't survive by himself at the age of seven.)
5) What is their childhood fear? Still a child. But he is frightened of nightmares.
6) What is something they have always secretly dreamed of doing, but thought impossible? Finding and being reunited with his dead twin brother, Gustav.
7) What is something he is impractically afraid of? Nightmares, again.
8) Are they a night owl or morning person? Night owl, mainly because he doesn't really like sleeping.
9) Do they say everything that pops into their head, or leave a lot unsaid? He says everything that pops into his head. Literally, everything.
10) What are their nervous habits? Avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, playing with the sleeves of his shirt, subtle things like that.

 

That was alot of fun!

 

Vacation Announcement/Blog Hiatus

I hate to say this, but I'm leaving on a vacation with my family for the next two weeks... and I won't be back until July the 14th.
Even worse... I won't bring my computer. The horror! (Seriously, though. I don't know if I'll be able to survive these next weeks without it.)
My dad is bringing his laptop, so I do have access to email, and possibly my blog, but I doubt I will be able to get on much at all.
So, if I don't blog until the 14th, that is the reason for my absence. I'm really sorry to just disappear with so little warning, but I promise I will be back!
To make up for this otherwise non-bookish post, the books I am bringing on vacation with me are Uncle Tom's Cabin, Fangirl, This is What Happy Looks Like, and Ice Station by Matt Reilly. So, I should return with plenty of bookish news!

Until then, Happy Reading!

Library Book Haul (3)

So, a couple days ago brought on another trip to the library! The third one this month... not obsessed with the library at all. Nope.

 

At least I only brought 3 books this time.

 

Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater

 

So, I've only read one Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races, that I actually really loved. So, I had been kind of wanting to get my hands on another book of hers and I turned around and aaaaaahhh there it was! So that is what happened.

 

 Uncle Tom's Cabin

by Harriet Beecher Stowe

 

Mostly because my family is so geeky that we watch Civil War Documentaries for fun so then a whole type of part about this book came up so that is what happened yes.

 

This is what Happy Looks Like

by Jennifer E. Smith

 

What a pretty cover! (*What a pretty fire* and if you got that reference, you rock. Okay.) So, I've been wanting to read this so I was happy when I saw it.

 

That is all I have for you today! Sorry it was so short.

Beautiful People Meme

 

Beautiful People is a meme for writers hosted by The Notebook Sisters and Sky of Further Up and Further In. Every month, the goal is to answer the 5 questions set out for you to answer about a character in your current WIP.

 

I know this is really late, I am so sorry, but I couldn't resist hopping in just two days before the month ends... um, whoops? Anyway, I've been so irresponsible with my writing lately, but here's the questions answered for Mallory, of Ominous Waters, my November NaNoWriMo Novel that I am currently editing.

 



1) What is their full name and is there a story behind why they got it?
       Mallory Acer. No middle name, just Mallory Acer.
       I chose this name for her, because it really sort of fit her tough personality, while at the same time still not being too tough if that makes sense? I honestly don't know other than that. I liked the name is all.

2) How old are they, and when were they born?
       She is 17, and was born 17 years before the novel took place. *nods* (In other words, I really don't know when her birthday was.)

3) Describe their physical appearance. (Bonus questions: 1. What is their race/nationality/ethnicity? 2. Do you have a picture of them? If so, include it!)
         Greasy blonde hair that hasn't been washed for ages, and just an overall grimy appearance. She's a pirate, see, and really she doesn't pay much attention to her cleanliness, because a) she doesn't have the resources and b) she has better things to do (in her opinion)?

4) Describe your character's personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences.
            Bossy.
            As the Captain's daughter, she grew up used to bossing people around, and as a result, she can be a over-bearing and bossy throughout the story.

5) What theme song(s) fit their personality and story arc?
             To be honest, I don't listen to music much, so I wouldn't know? But a nice instrumental that sort of fits her is Black Blade, by an orchestra called Two Steps From Hell.

6) Which one of the seven deadly sins describes your character?
                Well, I'd say she fits with both Wrath and Pride. And Greed. So maybe she's flawed, but part of the storyline is her trying to cope with her flaws. Wrath rarely comes out, but she just sort of naturally lashes out at people, because that's how she was raised?

7) If they were an element (fire, water, earth, air), which one would they be?
                 I'd like to say Water as Water is very important to her, and she was raised/lives on the sea, but I feel like Water is too relaxing or calm for her. However, if she was Water she'd be the raging waves at sea.
                  If not Water, I'd say she fits under Fire. Fire is unpredictable and deadly, just like Mallory is. 
8) What is their favourite word?
                  Damselfly.
                  It's the name of her ship. Her ship is her home, and is very important to her.

9) Who’s one person they really miss? (It could be someone who’s passed away, or someone they’re not close to anymore, or someone who’s moved away.)
                  One person she misses is her father. Part of the storyline is how her Father was kidnapped by a rival pirate ship (whose captain is a sorcerer... and seeing as sorcerers and pirates are mortal enemies in this world, that just adds fuel to the fire...) and she spends the whole novel braving many different obstacles to get him back.

10) What sights, sounds, and smells remind them of that person?
                   The sea, for all of those. The sight of the blue waves as the Damselfly parts them, the sound of the sea lapping against the side of the ship, the smell of salt hovering in the air as a present from the sea. So in other words, she is constantly reminded of him.

So that's all I really have for today. Again, I haven't been working on much lately, which really makes me mad at myself especially seeing all these posts about writing updates and productivity etc. and realizing that I should be writing too, but I just can't bring myself to do it because nothing is inspiring me and I have a bad case of "I-can't-write-anyway-I'll-never-be-an-author-why-do-I-try-anyway"s.

Until next time!

Friday Finds (1)

Friday Finds is brought to you by shouldbereading.wordpress.com and it asks you to display what books you have "found" or added to your TBR pile each week! This week I found so many new books to read, and so from the 20th-27th (today) I have found...

Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira which doesn't come out until October of 2015! But the little summary we do get sounds just like my type of book. I am really anticipating this read even though it is so far away.

The Garden of Letters by Alyson Richman which again, is not out yet, but it does come out in fall of this year, so at least it isn't too far away! This is a historical fiction which I have really been wanting to get more into this genre, and this sounds like a really good book.

The Falcon Throne by Karen Miller comes out in September of this year, a week after The Garden of Letters is released. I'm looking forward to this one as well, even if it is not out yet.

The Bees by Laline Paull (finally, a book that has been released!). It sounds so different and unique, and because of that I want to give it a try. It's animal fiction which I actually tend to really like, so that sounds good to me!

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski has been getting lots of good reviews, so I want to see for myself! I'm sure I'll like it.

Ink by Amanda Sun was added to my list because first off, the sequel was released this week, second off, because of the beautiful cover, and thirdly because it takes place in Japan with Japanese Mythology so I thought it would be an interesting read.

Penderwicks #4 by Jeanne Birdsall which still does not have a title, cover, or proper summary, but I still want to read it when it comes out. It's the newest addition to my favorite middle grade series about four sisters. When I saw that she had another book coming out, I had a fangirl attack.

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith because the cover is so wonderful, and because I love cute contempary reads in the summertime. I checked it out from the library today (expect a library book haul tommorow) and can't wait to start it.

That's all I have for you today! I hope I helped you to discover some new books that might pique your interest. Happy reading, and best wishes!