The Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s Book Tag

I was tagged by Cristina from My Tiny Obsessions and Catia from The Girl Who Read Too Much to do the Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s book tag. Thank you both so much for the tag! This was created by Aimal from Bookshelves & Paperbacks.

Vanilla Caramel Fudge: pick a light, fluffy contemporary

 

We are starting things off with a tricky one since light, fluffy contemporaries are really not at all my thing. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is probably the lightest and fluffiest of the small amount of contemporary novels that I have read in my life. It was overall adorable and hilarious, and I absolutely loved it! Two others that are not quite as light, but that I ended up really enjoying were The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith and The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder.

Mint Chocolate Cookie: a new release that you wish everybody would read

I haven’t actually read any really new releases just yet, so I’m going to fudge this a little bit and say Winter by Marissa Meyer. Basically, I wish everybody would read (and hopefully enjoy!) the entire Lunar Chronicles series in general. I cannot gush enough about these novels!

Karamel Sutra Core: a last book in a series that you were completely satisfied with

This may be an obvious choice, but I have to choose Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for this one. I don’t actually read series very often, and when it comes to those that I have read in the past, I have been disappointed by a lot of final books. However, this was one that I absolutely loved—in fact, it’s probably my second or third favorite novel in the series. It was a strong, epic, and satisfying conclusion to an overall fantastic series of books, and I was so pleased that the story was wrapped up so well.

Cherry Garcia: an ending that was bittersweet

For this one, I’m going to have to go with the ending of Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander. This novel overall is incredibly bittersweet—both beautiful and painful. It is a very touching story with a positive underlying message, and the ending holds just as true to this format as the rest of the book. However, let’s just say this is also one book that makes the extremely small list of books that made me cry.

Strawberry Shortcake: a book containing your OTP of OTPs

I’m not usually one to have OTPs, but if any couple is my OTP, it would definitely be Marko and Alana from the graphic novel series, Saga. Their relationship, though it goes through some bumps, is absolutely lovely; they are the very definition of soul mates. Their love for each other outweighs everything, despite all the hardships they face. I adore this pairing.

Milk and Cookies: two authors that if they collaborated, they would go perfectly together

I’m definitely going to have to agree with both Cristina and Catia on this one and say Ransom Riggs and Tahereh Mafi. To be honest, if they were book characters, they would have been my answer to the last question. They are such a wonderful pair, and are each individually very talented and imaginative writers. If they wrote a novel together, chances are high that it would be one of the most epic stories ever!

Boston Cream Pie: a book that had you turning your pages late into the night

Oh man, so many books over the years have done this for me—take any of the Harry Potter or Narnia books for instance! If I were to choose a slightly more recent read, I would have to pick Gone Girl. I absolutely devoured this novel. I was completely engrossed from page one and it was nearly impossible to put down, which caused a number of very late night (or early morning, rather…) reading sessions!

Chocolate Therapy: a book that makes you feel better after a long day of life

You guys know me well enough by this point to not be at all surprised with I say To Kill a Mockingbird for this answer. I’m fairly certain I’ve managed to mention this book at least once in every single tag that I’ve done—and that probably won’t be changing anytime soon! This is one of those stories that never fails to give me the warm fuzzies when I read it, due to both the deep and heartwarming story itself and the personal nostalgia factor—the many fond memories I have of this novel from over the years and its importance to me.

Coffee, Coffee, Buzzbuzzbuzz!: a book not yet released that you can’t wait to get your hands on

 

This is a difficult topic to choose just one book for, since there are so many fantastic upcoming releases this year! My top most anticipated release of the year is Heartless by Marissa Meyer, but another one right up there with it would be This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. They are both authors that I discovered last year and instantly fell in love with, so I can’t wait to get my hands on any and all of their novels.

I Tag:

Kayla @ Bookedsolid1989

Lashaan and Trang @ Bookidote

Isabella @ Gryffindor Books

Richard @ The Humpo Show

Raquel @ Rakioddbooks

Top 10 Tuesday – January 12th, 2016

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is the top ten 2015 releases you meant to get to but didn’t. This is a great topic for me because I have an embarrassingly long list of books to choose from! I ended up not reading nearly as much as I originally intended to in 2015. On top of that, the majority of the books that I did read were releases from recent years that I was trying to catch up on. To narrow my list down, I primarily chose books that I own and that I hope to get around to reading this year. 2016 is definitely going to end up being another catch up year!

1. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

3. The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

4. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

6. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

7. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

8. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

9. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

10. Rook by Sharon Cameron

What 2015 releases did you guys not have a chance to read? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

Top 10 Tuesday – December 29th, 2015

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. Can you believe it’s already the final one of 2015? This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is your top ten most anticipated releases for the first half of 2016. I don’t currently have a very large list of anticipated releases of 2016 in general, and I don’t have quite enough that are coming out in the first half of the year to make a list of ten. So instead, I am going to just list the top ten releases of the entire year that I am most looking forward to getting my hands on! I’m always trying to find new releases to read, so definitely let me know in the comments which books you are most looking forward to in 2016! 🙂

1. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (January 5^th, 2016)

passage, n.

A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

 In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever

2. A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly (February 2^nd, 2016)

Magic is powerful, dangerous and addictive – and after passage of the 18th Amendment, it is finally illegal.

It’s 1926 in Washington, DC, and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achieved the Prohibition of sorcery, the city’s magic underworld is booming. Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters’ crime sprees. Smugglers funnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer’s shine.

Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts an offer to work for DC’s most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang, when her family’s home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.

Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic – and when their paths cross at the Shaws’ performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliances begin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimate allegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselves pitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.

A Criminal Magic casts a spell of magic, high stakes and intrigue against the backdrop of a very different Roaring Twenties.

3. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (February 2^nd, 2016)

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

____ 

The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.

Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….

The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.

Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.

The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.

After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.

The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess

The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.

Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century…

4. These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas (February 9^th, 2016)

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

5. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab (February 23^rd, 2016)

*Spoilers for A Darker Shade of Magic*

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

 In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

6. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (March 8^th, 2016)

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there’s nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can’t wait to escape from.  

Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him…or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

7. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (June 7^th, 2016)

The city of Verity has been overrun with monsters, born from the worst of human evil. In North Verity, the Corsai and the Malchai run free. Under the rule of Callum Harker, the monsters kill any human who has not paid for protection. In the South, Henry Flynn hunts the monsters who cross the border into his territory, aided by the most dangerous and darkest monsters of them all—the Sunai, dark creatures who use music to steal their victim’s souls.

As one of only three Sunai in existence, August Flynn has always wanted to play a bigger role in the war between the north and the south. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate Harker, daughter of the leader of North Verity, August jumps on it.

When Kate discovers August’s secret, the pair find themselves running for their lives and battling monsters from both sides of the wall. As the city dissolves into chaos, it’s up to them to foster a peace between monsters and humans.

A unique, fast-paced adventure that looks at the monsters we face every day—including the monster within.

8. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (October 25^th, 2016)

Allie Brosh, the “gut-bustingly funny” (NPR), award-winning, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hyperbole and a Half, shares an all-new collection of autobiographical and illustrated essays.

9. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (November 8^th, 2016)

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king’s marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

10. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (September 27^th, 2016)

Strange the Dreamer is the story of:

the aftermath of a war between gods and men.

a mysterious city stripped of its name.

a mythic hero with blood on his hands.

a young librarian with a singular dream.

a girl every bit as perilous as she is imperiled.

alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

-Ariana

Tis’ the Season Book Tag

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

1. Do you have a favorite winter read?

  

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

2. Find a book with blue on the cover.

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Favorite holiday drink, treat, & movie.

Drink: Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Treat: Peppermint Bark

Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life

I Tag:

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

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Top 5 Wednesday – December 23rd, 2015

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Gingerreadslainey. Every week, book reviewers all over the world are given a bookish topic and respond with their top 5 books (or elements of books) that relate to that topic. Click here for the Goodreads group if you would like to learn more about Top 5 Wednesday and join in!

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is the top five series you want to start next year. I have only recently realized just how massive my series/trilogies TBR is. I tend to read a lot of standalone novels, and I have not actually completed all that many series or trilogies in my lifetime so far. But this shall no longer be the case! I am hereby declaring 2016 the year of series reading!

Because my TBR is so long, I decided to do a bit of a twist on today’s topic. Since it was impossible to narrow things down enough, I essentially decided I should make two different top five lists: one of the top five series and one of the top five trilogies I want to read during the course of 2016!

Series

Most of these are series that I intended to read in 2015 and never got around to starting (yes, I did indeed fail quite epically!).

5. The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima

4. The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

3. The Raven Cycle Quartet by Maggie Stiefvater

2. The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson

1. The A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin

Trilogies

Again, many of these are trilogies I wanted to, and subsequently failed to get started on in 2015. I am determined to get going on, if not to finish, a good amount of these trilogies in the new year.

5. The Darkest Minds Trilogy by Alexandra Bracken

4. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor

3. The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

2. The Shattered Sea Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

1. The Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children Trilogy by Ransom Riggs

Honorable Mention: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien

This is an honorable mention because I am not sure that I will be able to make it to this trilogy before the end of the year. I do intend to read The Hobbit in 2016, and to at least finally begin watching the movies. I am hoping, though, that I will be able to make it through at least The Fellowship of the Ring!

What series are you guys planning to read in 2016? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

Top 10 Tuesday – December 22nd, 2015

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is the top ten books you wouldn’t mind Santa leaving under your tree this year. As I’m getting older, I’m finding it harder and harder to think up a general wish list for myself for gift giving occasions. There really aren’t many things that I want or feel that I need at the moment, and I much prefer giving gifts. However, like many other book lovers I’m sure, whenever anyone asks me what I want for Christmas, the only things I can think of are books. I can never have too many books (though my room begs to differ…)! In fact, what I would really like the most would be a tree that just grows all the books I want to read!

Since that is sadly not going to happen, here are ten of the books I would most like to see under the Christmas tree this year! 😀

1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin

3. Soulless by Gail Carriger

4. Alice by Christina Henry

5. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

6. The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

7. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

8. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

9. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

10. Wool by Hugh Howey

Sorry for the short post today; it has been a bit of a difficult and emotional day. What books are currently on your wish list? Please let me know in the comments! 🙂

-Ariana

The Childhood Book Tag

I was tagged by The Orang-utan Librarian to do the Childhood Book Tag. Thank you so much for tagging me! The Orang-utan Librarian is an absolutely fantastic book blogger, so please make sure to stop by and check out this blog! 🙂

1. First book you remember reading on your own?

I have a pretty terrible memory, so this is sort of a difficult question for me! I started reading on my own around the age of three or so, but that was quite a while back so I don’t remember a lot of the first books that I read. However, I do very clearly remember reading a book called The Housekeeper’s Dog when I was about four or five. I also remember being really proud that I could read this book, and not only reading it multiple times to my parents, but also calling up my grandma and reading it to her over the phone!

2. First book you remember having your parents read to you?

Books have always played an extremely important role in our family/household, and ever since I was very young, my parents constantly encouraged me to read. I know that they read to me very often for years, back so far that I am unable to specifically remember a fair amount of those books. The first book I can distinctly recall them reading to me, however, was Fox in Socks.

3. Book you read because of your parents? Because of a friend?

For this one, I’m going to have to go with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. My mom grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia and it is one of her favorite series of all time. So of course, when I showed a love of reading, this was one of the first series of books that she got me to read. And I am so glad that I did, because I absolutely adore these novels!

4. Favorite book from school?

I don’t think it will shock anyone to hear me say that To Kill a Mockingbird is by far my favorite book from school. This novel is just the most brilliant and wonderful thing I have ever read in my life. And here I go again, keeping up my streak of working it into every single book tag post that I write… 😀

5. Favorite book in elementary school?

I had a lot of favorite books during elementary school because, not only was I in elementary school when the Harry Potter books started to come out, but it was also when I discovered The Chronicles of Narnia. Really any of the books from the latter or the first few Harry Potter books could work for this question. However, if I had to choose, I would probably have to go with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is my favorite book of the series, and is also extremely special to me because it was the first one I was able to read completely on my own when it was originally published.

6. In middle school?

…Would you guys be mad at me if I said To Kill a Mockingbird again? 😀 Come on, I read it for the first time in seventh grade so of course it was my favorite of middle school! Just to change it up a bit though, I’ll throw another one of my favorite novels, And Then There Were None, in there.

7. In high school?

This is an incredibly difficult one to choose because a sizable amount of my all-time favorite books are ones I read during high school. I think I will have to go with The Hunger Games for this question. This stands out to me because, not only do I completely adore this book, but it was also the novel that got me interested in dystopians. This is now not only a type of story I enjoy reading, but a type that I absolutely love to write as well.

8. Book you gave up on as a kid that you’d like to revisit?

I can’t actually think of anything that would fit this question. I find it nearly impossible to give up in the middle of books unless I have an extremely good reason to. And that reason is usually that I truly do not want to finish them. So nope, nothing that I want to revisit!

9. Book you checked out from the library the most as a kid?

This is another question that I can’t think of an answer for. I don’t really remember checking out any particular book multiple times. I tend to not do rereads very often, and all the ones I have done over the years were of books that I already owned. So for this question, I am going to say the A Series of Unfortunate Events novels, because I remember checking these out a lot!

10. Book you made all your friends read?

Um…To Kill a Mockingb…Okay, you know what? For variety’s (and sanity’s) sake, we are just going to go with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for this one, even though that is a slightly more recent occurrence. I’ve totally been pushing this on everyone I know who hasn’t read it yet. And if you are reading this post and have not picked up one or both of these novels mentioned, hereby consider them being pushed on you as well! 😀

11. The book that made you love reading?

Again, this would be a toss up between Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I had been reading for a few years before I came to either of these, but they were the novels that truly kick started my passion for reading and love of the written word. If I had to choose one, I would probably go with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. This is a novel that I have a very distinct and very fond recollection of reading at bedtime each night with my parents right after it was first released, and by The Chamber of Secrets, I was reading them on my own (over and over again!).

12. Favorite middle grade read?

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I am fairly, though not entirely, sure that this is a middle grade novel. This is by far one of the most poignant and beautiful novels that I have ever read, and I completely adore it.

13. Favorite young adult read?

I am revising this to “one of my favorites” because there is no way I am going to be able to choose just one ultimate favorite. I am also going to choose something that I have not yet mentioned in this tag, so I would say Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I love retellings, and this is definitely the most interesting and unique one that I have read so far.

14. First long series you read as a kid?

The first long series that I read in its entirety as a kid would be The Chronicles of Narnia. I finished this well before I completed series like Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Since all of the books in this series were obviously published well before I began reading them, I ended up binge reading every single one in the space of a couple of months.

15. How did you learn to read? How old were you?

I started to learn how to read when I was around one or two years old. I began by memorizing the text of stories from hearing my family read to me, and then I would flip through the books myself and go over the words. Eventually something must have clicked and I began really reading on my own around age three. And boy, did I read a lot!

16. How obsessed were you with the scholastic book fairs as a kid?

Completely obsessed! It was one of my favorite events of the school year; it was like Christmas! I spent far too much time wandering around the book fair and probably far too much money buying books…but it was the greatest! 😀

I Tag:

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Kayla @ Bookedsolid1989

Anna @ My Bookish Dream

Yasmin and Paige @ The Wild Readers

Emily @ The Little Book Affair

Cleo @ Cuddlewithbooks

Dashing Through the Snow Book Tag

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

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The Rules:

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

3. Favourite Christmas movie.

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

4. Do you like snow?

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

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

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

6. To give or to receive?

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

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

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

8. Fondest Christmas memory?

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

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

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

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

I Tag:

Emma @ The Terror of Knowing

Jen @ J.N. Cahill

Zezee @ Zezee with Books

Poppy @ Poppy’s Best of Books

Richard @ The Humpo Show

Daniela @ Daniela’s Bookshelf

Getting Through Anxiety

The Dragon’s Loyalty Award

Shivalika over at Whimsy Journals nominated me for the Dragon’s Loyalty award. Thank you so much for the nomination! Remember to stop by and check out her blog if you have not already! 😀

Quick Update: I am finally starting to feel a bit better and am getting back into the swing of things with reading and posting. I’ll finally be putting up some new reviews very soon, as well as catching up on tags and awards!

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The Rules:

– Display the award on your blog

– Announce your win with a post and link the blogger who awarded you

– Present 6 deserving bloggers with the award

– Link your awardees in the post and let them know of their being awarded

– Write seven interesting things about you.

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Random Facts About Me:

1. I still love reading/watching them, but I have never once been scared by a scary movie or book…

2. …however, oddly enough, I think I tend to be an embarrassingly jumpy person in my every day life, especially with loud noises!

3. My favorite television show of all time is Frasier (if you have never seen it, watch it, it’s fantastic!) and it actually partially inspired my blog name.

4. My other favorite shows are Doctor Who, Keeping Up Appearances, Sherlock, Fawlty Towers, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show…

5. …I am also completely addicted to The Great British Bake Off.

6. I love traveling. So far, I’ve been to France, England, Wales, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic; I’ve also done a bit of traveling throughout the United States. I am traveling to Ireland for the first time next year!

7. I’ve mentioned before that I absolutely love listening to film soundtracks or soundtrack style music like Two Steps from Hell, Audiomachine, and Immediate Music. The song that I just discovered and am currently completely obsessed with is Tales of the Electric Romeo by Immediate Music.

I Nominate:

The Orang-utan Librarian

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Marian @ Bookception21

Imogene @ Amidst the Pages

Amy @ Curiouser and Curiouser

Luucy @ Making Days Better

Fall Time Cozy Time Book Tag

I was tagged by Liam over at Liam’s Library and Marie over at Drizzle Hurricane Books to do the Fall Time Cozy Time Tag. Thank you both so much for tagging me! Make sure to stop by and check out both of these awesome book blogs! 😀

Also, I’m sorry for the lack of posts and slow comment replies over the last few days. I am sick again for the second time in a month and that’s caused me to run a bit behind in posting. 😦 Hopefully this will go away very soon and I can get things back to normal. Thanks for being patient! ❤

Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color. Choose a book that has reds, oranges, and yellows on the cover.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

I have not yet read this book (I’m still mildly terrified to), but I love the beautiful color scheme of the cover. Definitely very warm and reminiscent of fall!

Cozy Sweater: It’s finally cold enough to don warm, cozy clothing. What book gives you the warm fuzzies.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

I’m fairly sure that I use the Sherlock Holmes novels to answer far too many tag questions, but hey, they’re some of my favorites! These novels always give me the warm fuzzies no matter what time of year I read them, and for some reason, they always put me in mind of colder weather. They are the types of novels that make you want to curl up with a blanket and a warm cup of tea and read while it snows outside.

Fall Storm: The wind is howling and the rain is pounding. Choose your favorite book or genre that you like to read on a stormy day.

On a day like that, my favorite genre to read would definitely be fantasy; it’s the perfect sort of weather to sit inside and get lost in another world. In terms of specific books, I’d say any of the Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia books. Also, these are not fantasy books, but To Kill a Mockingbird and any of the Sherlock Holmes novels would be perfect as well. I’m sure I have shocked everyone by not being able to choose just one book! I’m usually so decisive… 😀

Cool Crisp Air: Who’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?

This is tough to choose just one for; there are so many incredible characters out there! I think I would have to go with either Hermione Granger or Daenerys Targaryen. They are both awesome, strong, and completely badass female characters, and two of my all-time favorites. I also wouldn’t mind trading places with either Holmes or Watson; it would be awesome to work alongside the greatest detective ever, or get to be him!

Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?

This is another tough one for me because I’ve not read all that many under hyped books in recent years, or at least ones that I really enjoyed. If I had to pick one, I might say Jackaby by William Ritter. I read this book earlier this year and absolutely loved it. It’s such a fun, hilarious, and enjoyable read, filled with lovable characters and a world that I want everyone to discover. I’m not sure if this is under hyped, but I personally have not heard many people talking about it

Coats, Scarves, and Mittens: The weather has turned cold and it’s time to cover up. What’s the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

I honestly never really feel embarrassed over anything like books or movies or TV shows. I can’t think of any books that I’d feel the need to keep hidden; if I like it and want to read it, that’s all that matters. I’ll read what I want, gosh darn it! 🙂

Pumpkin Spice: What’s your favorite fall time comfort food/foods?

I am going to be extremely cliché here and say basically anything pumpkin related. Seriously though, I love pumpkin; I definitely have a pumpkin addiction. Pumpkin spice lattes are my absolute favorite fall time comfort food (drink). I also love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins…if it has the word pumpkin in it, I probably like it!

I Tag:

Since I have been doing a lot of tags recently (and have many more coming!) and since fall is almost over, I’m not going to tag anyone specific. Instead, I tag everyone who wants to do it! If you do, make sure to link me to your post so I can check it out! 🙂