Top Ten Tuesday: Characters Sitting At My Lunch Table

Top Ten Tuesday, as always, is hosted by Broke and Bookish and this week the topic is Top Ten Characters who would sit at your lunch table. I thought it was a very fitting topic for today! (And just to set the record straight I never eat lunch with other people. I'm pretty anxious when it comes to socialization. But let's pretend I had people sitting at my table.)

1. Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck from Lord of the Rings by J R. R. Tolkien and...
2. Peregrin "Pippin" Took from Lord of the Rings because the two of them are such fun and energetic hobbits that would make lunch really entertaining. It wouldn't get boring with these two around.
3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J K Rowling because we share the same interest in reading and she's super smart so maybe she could help me with studying during lunch sometime.
4. Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones because she's a bit on the quieter side like I am and she's a really sweet person most of the time.
5. Cather from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because we both like to write, and we're both rather introverted.
6. Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit by J R. R. Tolkien since who can have too many Hobbits at their lunch table, am I right?
7. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter by J K Rowling is a very likely choice for me as well, since she is kind-hearted and just a wee bit strange, like the rest of my friends. I think we would get along really well.
8. Cat from The Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima because even though she's a little on the tougher side, I feel like she would be good at our table.
9. Annabeth from Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan since she is also really smart, and I feel like she might fit in at our table.
10. Agatha from School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani because she's a misfit just like me, and we could get along famously.

August Wrap-Up

Oh, dear, I certainly haven't been keeping up on my Wrap-ups have I? First, I forget a June Wrap Up, and a July Wrap up, then I forget a Bout of Books Wrap up (Or rather, I don't know what to say in a Bout of Books Wrap up! That and being lazy of course.) But here we are, responsible me with an August Wrap up. I may have one more post later today, the Beautiful People Meme, or I may have a Summer Wrap Up to make up for the months of missed Wrap ups.

All ratings out of 5 stars as usual, and if I did a review for the book already, I shall link it with the mini-review. All mini-reviews are spoiler free.

This month I read 7 books.

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
  Rating: 4.5 stars
  Finished on August 10th I picked this book up because of the hype and excitement around it. Besides, High Fantasy is my favorite genre and I really wanted a new series to read my genre from. It was good, I'm not sure if it was spectacular like I had expected, but it might also have been how long it took me to read it. My full review is here. However, sometimes it takes a while for me to warm up to a series.
  Take the Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima for example. If you look at my May Wrap Up I wasn't a huge fan, but now that series is among my top 3 favorites.
   
• Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin SloaneRating: 4 Stars
  Finished on August 12thThis is another book I'd been hearing quite a lot about. And I ended up really enjoying it, I did. It was a fun fast paced read with enough mystery and geekiness to whip through and still enjoy. I read it while camping which was the perfect time to read it, in my opinion.
• Ready Player One by Ernest ClineRating: 5 Stars
  Finished on August 17thI forgot to mark this one/review this one on Goodreads because I'm a stinky fish-head. But yeah, I remember just reading and reading this one because I could not put it down. I loved the action in it. Ernest Cline did a great job with plot and writing style. There were a few points that I felt didn't need to be included in the story, but overall I'd still say 5 stars.
• Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta Rating: 5 stars
  Finished on August 19thI read this one for the Bout of Books Read A Thon, so if you were following my updates you probably heard quite a bit about it. This book gave me all the feels, to say the least. It was an extremely powerful book that I personally believe deserves more attention. I loved it and if you like the sort of "darker" contemporary reads, this is a hearty recommendation from me.  
• Six Months Later by Natalie D. RichardsRating: 3.5 Stars
  Finished on August 20thI've heard next to nothing about this book, but I read the first couple pages as well as the back of the book and decided to give it a try. It was a perfect Read a thon read, very quick and suspenseful. I finished it in one day and it was enjoyable enough, obviously I liked it if I read it in one day! ha ha.
• Leviathan by Scott WesterfeldRating: 4 Stars
  Finished on August 23rdSo I'd heard good things about Scott Westerfeld and saw this full trilogy at the library, so how could I pass it up? This book had such wonderful picture accompinements to it, ones that fit the book perfectly. It was an alternate World War I, with clankers-- machines, and darwinists-- who used fabricated beasts. It was very good.
• Behemoth by Scott WesterfeldRating: 4 Stars
  Finished on August 27thThis was the second book in the trilogy, and it was every bit as good as the first. Some questions were answered, but other questions popped up. It was a very good mid-point for the series.
  
  Currently Reading:
• Goliath by Scott Westerfeld 405/543 pages read thus farAs you can certainly guess, this is indeed the third book of the trilogy. The final book is really good so far, it might be my favorite of the three based on what I've read. I'm going to read more of it today!
  

Top Ten Tuesday: TBR Books I Don't Own

Another Top Ten Tuesday brought to you by Broke and Bookish!  Today's topic is books you want to read but do not own. Which, alas is all my TBR pile so far. Anyway these are the ones at the top of my TBR at the moment so I decided to go with these.

Also, my Bout of Books Wrap Up should be up tomorrow, or the next day or the day after that depending on how lazy I feel. Maybe sometime next week. Or maybe never. Anyway...

I) The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima - Chima is one of my favorite authors currently and it's a shame I've only read one series by her! With the last book in the Heir Chronicles releasing this October, what better time to pick up the series?

2) A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin- I'm a Fantasy addict and it's just a shame that I haven't read arguably one of the most popular Fantasy series currently out. I want to read this soon.

3) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - Ah, yes, this is one that has had a lot of attention lately. Now me being me I must follow the crowd and read this one of course. Plus, it sounds like it might be supernatural or something? I literally know nothing about this other than the protagonist's name so it would be an interesting read!

4) Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - Even though I could have gone either way with the first book, sometimes (especially in Fantasy) it takes a while for the series to get going, so I can't wait to give this one another shot.

5) Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan - Let's be honest here... who doesn't want to get their hands on this book? The release date is so close... and yet so far...

6) The One by Kiera Cass- I read the first two and they quickly became my guilty pleasure series... so I really want to read the third book.

7) Winter by Marissa Meyer- Another series finale I am anticipating... but it doesn't come out until next year! *howls to sky* Whyyyy?

8) Zodiac by Romina Russell- I saw this one in a lot of BEA hauls and it caught my eye. Even though it isn't out yet (this is really turning into a "Books I want to read even though they aren't out yet" post isn't it?) I am looking forward to it.

9) A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani - I love the first book in the middle grade series, in fact it was one of my favorites of the year, so I really want to get my hands on Book 2 next time I'm at the bookstore.

10) The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson- Surprise! Another Fantasy! And this book sounds really good so I want to give it a chance.

Bout Of Books 11.0 Update (Day SEVEN)

Here we are, arrived at the very last day of Bout of Books 11.0-- and my very first Bout of Books, might I add! So far I have read 3 books, and with my reading today, I hit my goal of 1,200 pages to read. I was so happy. I will put up a wrap up post tomorrow.


Total Pages Read: 1,402
Pages Read Today: 220
Total Books Read: 3
Currently Reading: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

There was one last challenge today, which I decided to participate it, meaning I participated in all but one of the challenges. Yay! This one was hosted by Falling Down The Book Hole. I loved this challenge, it was so much fun and a perfect way to wrap up the week. The idea is this-- you choose 5 books to bring with you if the world was ending. Mine are as follows...

+ The Crimson Crown, by Cinda Williams Chima: If you've read my blog even a little bit, you probably know that The Seven Realms series is one of-- if not my very-- favorite books series. And the last book is my favorite, it kept me totally engaged in the world, instead of the real world. It would provide a lovely escape.

+ The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Because this certainly has some survival tips in there that I could use in this end of the world mess.

+ A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin: Mostly because this is a really thick book that a) I haven't read yet b) is something I want to read c) is right up my alley and d) by the time I finished this one, I probably would have forgotten everything that happened in all the other books

+ Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: This would be something to remind me who I am when I seem like I'm about to disappear, and also it would be something light, cute, fluffy, and entertaining that would cheer me up after these other reading choices and the real world

+ The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien: Because it's about a hobbit who is unwilling to go on any adventures, but is forced into one anyway. Rather like how I would feel when the end of world would come.

So those are my picks! Do you agree? Disagree? Why or why not? As you can tell I'm a really big fan of those giant fantasy books... whoops.

So I shall see you tomorrow with my wrap up post! Until then, keep reading!

Bout Of Books 11.0 Update (Day SIX)

 

Oh no! Bout of Books is coming to an end! I'd like to think I have read quite a bit today, even if I really procrastinated on writing this blog post. I guess I'm just despairing that tomorrow is the last day of the Read a thon. Also Doctor Who returned today can I get a whoop whoop


Total Pages Read: 1,182
Pages Read Today: 209
Total Books Read: 3
Currently Reading: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Other Comments: So you know what I said yesterday about getting so distracted while reading this book? Well, yesterday was an off day for me all around and today I got back in the reading mood... and I got super into this book! It captivated me! I'm glad I checked the next book out from the library because I finished this one today and am ready for the next title.There was only one challenge today which was hosted by  Kimberly Faye Reads with the Spell it Out challenge. Pretty much, it's like the title implies-- you spell out your name, initals, anything with book titles.

I decided to go with my name-- Emma.

E-- Emma, by Jane Austen
M-- My Neighbor Totoro by Tsugiko Kubo based on Miyazaki's movie
M-- Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
A-- Amazonia by James Rollins

I couldn't take a picture because I don't actually own a physical copy of "Emma" by Jane Austen-- it's on my kindle, but alas, this will do, won't it?

I hope everyone has a great day or two of reading!
See you tomorrow.  

Bout Of Books 11.0 Update (Day FIVE)

Day five of the Bout of Books read a thon is officially here and we are nearing the end. I hope to finish my book that I am reading before then, but we'll see! At the same time I'm trying to savor my book because it's one of those that is perfect for a rainy day. It also reminds me quite a bit of another one of my favorite books, Airborn by Kenneth Oppel.



Total Pages Read: 973
Pages Read Today: 125
Total Books Read: 2
Currently Reading: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Other Comments: So close to that 1,000 page mark! I'm liking this book so far, but I just find myself getting distracted while reading it. There were two challenges again today! Hurrah!  The first one was to Recreate a Cover, hosted by Spines and Covers. Now, keep in mind when you look at the cover that all I have is a terrible quality backwards webcam. And ok, maybe it's also that I'm a bad artist. Haha.  

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

I took great pleasure in ripping this drawing to shreds, I assure you.

 

 

I present...

1/4 of Airborn by Kenneth Oppel cover!

 

Sorry about the glare and the bad drawing and bad handwriting and backwards cover and the small size and the funky arms and faces. I drew this in about two minutes because I wanted to do the challenge but at the same time drawing stuff really frustrates me. So that was the end product.

 

...Anyway, ranting aside, there was also a second challenge hosted by Christian Bookshelf Reviews and it was the Book Chain Challenge. The Challenge was to connect the books by last/first word. Words like "The" "A" or "An" did not count for this challenge. The books I chose for this challenge were...

 

 

 



 

"The Gray Wolf Throne" by Cinda Williams Chima*

"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas*

"The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls

"Castle in the Air" by Diana Wynne Jones **

 

* = book I have read in the past 12 months

** = on my TBR

 

....and that is where I hit a dead end. Oh well?

 

So, I might fix one of these challenges later, but I guess we shall see about that. Anyway, see you soon with an update on my progress tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 



 



Bout Of Books 11.0 Update (Day FOUR)

 

In case you didn't gather from the title, today is day four of the bout of books read a thon. We're halfway there! (exactly for me actually, as it is 12:00 on the dot.) I am also more than halfway to my goal of 1,200 pages that I set out for myself.

Since I finished my book yesterday, I started a new one. I am not far into it (only 10 pages) but I really like the illustrations and writing of the book. It's also my first Scott Westerfeld novel I believe.


Total Pages Read: 848
Pages Read Today: 106
Total Books Read: 2
Currently Reading: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Other Comments: So I got this whole trilogy and I am planning on marathonning all three books in a row. I am really looking forward to it as the first book seems very promising from what I have read so far. Also, the illustrations are stunning! I know I mentioned that right above, but the detail put into them amazes me. I cannot wait to read more of this book.

The challenge today was "If you like ___, try ____ because ____" which was hosted by Writing My Own Fairytale so here we go!

If you like...



Bad quality images taken off of Google...ONCE UPON A TIME

Then try...

A slightly better quality image taken off of Google!
THE SISTERS GRIMM SERIES
BY MICHAEL BUCKLEY

Because...

Who doesn't love a slightly better quality image, am I right?
Both the TV series and the Books feature fairy tale creatures living in the real world. Sure, the books are middle grade but they are really quick to get through and have a high entertainment factor. Plus both of them are so addicting that you can binge read or binge watch both of them without noticing how much time has gone by.
Trust me, I know this from experience.

 

Okay, that was actually so much fun that I might do another one. But maybe later because right now I have some reading to do!

Until tomorrow, happy reading!



Bout of Books 11.0 Update (Day THREE)

 

Whoo! Who else is excited about Day Three of the Bout Of Books Read a thon? I know I am. I managed a trip to the library today and I've got four more books ready to read. I know I'm not going to finish all of them during the Read a thon but I am excited to read them anyway.


Total Pages Read: 742
Pages Read Today: 323
Total Books Read: 2
Currently Reading: Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards
Other Comments: Wow, was this book a whirlwind of a ride! I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as Jellicoe Road... it didn't get me invested and it was lighter than Jellicoe Road, but it was still really good. It was very mysterious, and kept me hooked and turning pages until the very end. Obviously I enjoyed it a lot, since I flew through it in only one day! The author's fast paced writing style also helped with that though, methinks.

There was only one challenge today. It was hosted by Book Reviews From A Christian Gal The challenge was to create a sentence using the first two words of books. Since I've only read one book so far it has the first two words from that book as well as a few other favorites.

 

My father, Han Alister, was there after a wind howled.

 

Books, in order

"Jellicoe Road" by Melina Marchetta

"The Demon King" by Cinda Williams Chima

"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini

 

The first two words of Fangirl were switched up because it has been clarified that that is allowed! Phew!

 

Happy reading!

See you with another update tomorrow.

Bout Of Books 11.0 Update (Day TWO)

 

It's the second day of Bout of Books #11 and I am finally making some progress. I am almost 200 pages into the book as of 12:32pm, and I plan on reading even more today. My stats at the end of today will go right here....

Total Pages Read: 419
Pages Read Today: 264
Total Books Read: 1
Currently Reading: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Other Comments: So, I ended up finishing Jellicoe Road. I wasn't able to get to the library today but I am planning on making a trip the third day of Bout Of Books! Let me tell you, Jellicoe Road took me on quite a ride, and I would highly recommend it. To anyone really. This style of book isn't really my genre but I still loved it!

There were another two challenges today I am not sure whether I will do both of them but I will try! The first one is OTP challenge hosted by Infinite Ink. Participants are supposed to relay their feels down below.

I'm not going to say whether my OTP is canon or not so you'll have to read the books and find out for yourselves. Haha.

My One True Pairing is from the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. And they are Dancer and Cat. Because come on people, those two are absolutely perfect for each other! I love how they stick true to the "opposites attract" rule-- the two of them have very different personalities, but when they combine together it's just too cute.

Also, there are just some points in the series where it makes me want to follow the point of view of one of them to see their true feelings for one another. Dancer is the only one secretive Cat ever opens up to, and I find that really sweet.

That was my lame fangirl rant, because I didn't want to spoil anything for anyone who has not read that series! (If you like High/Epic Fantasywith adventure action and romantic elements I would recommend this series 100%) The other challenge for today was the Book Spine Poetry Challenge hosted by My Little Pocketbooks.

The goal for this challenge is to make poetry (it doesn't have to rhyme) out of book titles. For every title you use, you get one free word. My poetry is like so...

My poem is standing on the mug I got from the National Art Gallery, in case you were
dying to know.

 

The Sorceress reveals the

Secret Of The Sirens

over Distant Waves

during The Pearl Wars.

 

Book Titles Used;

1. "The Sorceress" by Michael Scott

2. "Secret Of The Sirens" by Julia Golding

3. "Distant Waves" by Suzanne Weyn

4. "The Pearl Wars" by Nick James

 

I know, I know, I should be a professional poet. Not. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys their books today. Have a great week.

 

Until next time!

 

Bout Of Books 11.0 Update (Day ONE)

 

And... it's officially Day One of the Bout Of Books Read a Thon. Who else is super excited that this has begun? I'm going to make one post for each day updating my progress. As of 1pm I actually haven't started reading anything yet... but don't worry, there's still time!


Total Pages Read: 155
Pages Read Today: 155
Total Books Read: 0
Currently Reading: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Other Comments: So I ended up making the dive into this book a little after 2pm. I got really into it, and the dark aspects of the book intrigue me as well as the mystery clouding the pages. I find myself flipping pages as quickly as I can! What a fast-paced and interesting book.

There were also two challenges for today. I did my best to complete both of them. The first challenge was hosted by The Book Monsters and it was Book Scavenger Hunt. The hunt as filled out by me is down below...

1. A Book that begins with “B”  (for Bout of Books!)

2. A book that has been made into a movie/tv show

3. A series you love

4. An anthology of poems or short stories

5. A book on your TBR shelf, or your full TBR shelves

 

And I found...

 

1. For "B" title, I found "Belly Up" by Stuart Gibbs

2. For a Book made into a Movie, I found "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini"

3. For a series I love, I found the first book in "The Seven Realms" series by Cinda Williams Chima

4. For an anthology of short novels, I found "The Works Of Stevenson" by Robert Louis Stevenson (obviously, I would hope)

5. For a Book on my TBR shelf, I found "The Diviners" by Libba Bray

 

And, for the second challenge, it is hosted by LuloFanGirl and it is to make a playlist centering around one of the books you plan to read, with at least five songs. I'm planning on doing this one later today, as I don't have my books planned out, and I haven't quite started reading yet!

 

Until tomorrow!