Posted in Book Tags, Books

The Book Cake Tag

Hey everyone! I hope that you had a lovely Christmas, if you celebrate, and some very happy holidays!

I found this tag on Megabunny Reads, and it sounded super fun, so I figured that I’d give it a go! The tag was originally created by A Little But A Lot.

Here goes nothing…

FLOUR: A BOOK THAT WAS SLOW TO START OFF BUT PICKED UP AS IT WENT ALONG

91xgJsbnZ+L.jpg

Shirley Jackson is the master of the slow-burn story, and The Haunting of Hill House is no exception. The slow building of this creepy, atmospheric masterpiece will stay with me for a long time after I’ve read it.

 

BUTTER: A BOOK THAT HAS A REALLY “RICH” AND GREAT PLOT

91-+f0-PaFL.jpg

The plot of Sally Green’s The Smoke Thieves  was incredibly intricate in every sense of the word–in the beginning, it was so complex that I found myself wondering how Green would manage to tie everything together in a way that made sense, but surprise, surprise, everything came back together towards the end. What a gem of a series.

EGGS: A BOOK THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE BAD, BUT TURNED OUT QUITE ENJOYABLE

91hmb3eo8ML.jpg

My expectations of Crier’s War were that it was going to be a steaming pile of cliches, but I was pleasantly surprised by the multi-layered world building, culture, and poetic writing…and not to mention, the swoon-worthy, enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance.

 

SUGAR: A SUGARY/SWEET BOOK

81Yz658D5UL.jpg

Oh, Rainbow Rowell, master of the heart-meltingly adorable romance…

Most of Rowell’s novels have this level of romance, on some level, but the sweetness of Fangirl stood out most to me for the purposes of this tag, from bonding over books and music to specialty lattes.

 

ICING: A BOOK THAT COVERED EVERY SINGLE ELEMENT THAT YOU ENJOY OF A BOOK

You guessed it…

81DOo37t7UL.jpg

I’ll say it once, and I’ll say it again…

Aurora Rising is, for all intents and purposes, everything that I’ve ever wanted in a book–daring adventures in space, with a ragtag cast of unique characters.

 

SPRINKLES: A BOOK SERIES THAT YOU TURN TO WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN

7327327.jpg

aaAAAaAAAaaaAAAAaAa chILDHOOD–

The Search for WondLa trilogy was definitely a major part of what not only got me through middle school, but what inspired me to be a writer, and my gateway to the genre  of science fiction. I haven’t re-read it in a year or so, but I always love flipping back through the gorgeous illustrations: at this point, each one’s a different way to get to Memory Lane.

 

CHERRY ON TOP: YOUR FAVORITE BOOK THIS YEAR SO FAR

…First of all, as Megabunny Reads said in their post…what? Aren’t cherries on top reserved for sundaes? I’ve only seen…maybe two pictures of cakes with a cherry on top, and it doesn’t sound all that appealing…

[ahem] Anyway, now that I’ve already mentioned Aurora Rising, I think there’s only one other choice for the top spot this year…

81cb5FCS08L.jpg

The heart-pounding conclusion to the Arc of a Scythe trilogy, Shusterman truly pulled out all the stops and then some in The TollThis is Shusterman’s storytelling at its very best, and an exemplary trilogy in the vast fount of literature that defines today’s sci-fi/dystopian novels.

 

And, that just about wraps it up! I tag:

And if you’ve stumbled across this post and want to participate, feel free!

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! It’s almost 2020, you can make it…

thank you for reading.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Book Tags, Books

End of the Year Book Tag

Hey, fellow bibliophiles! Sorry that I haven’t been active since Tuesday. I’ve had a kind of rough, busy, and rather emotional week (and an awful lot of homework), but hey, at least I finally finished watching Good Omens. 

giphy.gif

I saw this post on Prose and Pancakes, and I figured that I’d give it a go. (And if you can, please check out Nikita’s lovely blog!) The tag itself was created by Ariel Bisett.  So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Well…not quite, in the sense of the question. I’d like to think that I’m pretty good about finishing books in one sitting. BUT, I did just start reading  Bill Konigsberg’s The Music of What Happens, which I’m enjoying so far! 🙂

51hdxm1GGjL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year? 

I read pretty much all of the autumnal books that I wanted to read either in October or over the summer (oops), but I think Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks’ Pumpkinheads would fit the bill perfectly.

519OHqOUISL._SX352_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for? 

I think this one technically came out in November, but I haven’t yet read Marissa Meyer’s Supernovaand I am OVER THE MOON excited for that one!

81+lEQiKzxL.jpg

What are the three books you need to read before the end of the year?

Hmmm…

I don’t really have anything that I have planned for the end of the year, so I’ll just hash out a few books off of my TBR that I’m particularly excited about…

51ylxzDEq4L.jpg

Hopefully I can get this one on my next comic-shop run…

I’m fascinated by the direction that Magneto was taken in during the Brian Michael Bendis run, and I’m excited to see it all from his perspective. I also loved Bunn’s work on Harrow County, so I’m sure it’ll translate well to the iconic villain.

And speaking of X-Men (references, anyway)…

51Py7W2FrdL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I’ve been meaning to read Lyn Miller-Lachmann’s Rogue  for ages, and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere. I haven’t read much MG in a while, and it seems like this will be a very poignant coming-of-age story.

THE-MONSTERS-WE-DESERVE-final.jpg

Aaaaaaand completely unrelated from the other two, here’s Marcus Sedgwick’s The Monsters We DeserveAs Frankenstein is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) book of all time, I’m intrigued to see his take on the fateful night that Mary Shelley spun the iconic story.

 

Is there a book that could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I doubt it, honestly. My expectations have practically shot through the stratosphere after the combined glory of Honor Bound, Aurora Rising, Like A Love Story, The Pioneerand The Toll(I’ll be reviewing the latter of those next week. MY GOD…)

 

Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

Reading plans? What are these ‘reading plans’ you speak of?

giphy.gif

Not really, no. But, I’d like to up my Goodreads reading goal to…let’s say…250. I’ve already passed my goal of 200 this year, and my goal was 300 the year before, and that was veeeery stressful. Barely passed that one. So I’m hoping that 250 will be a happy medium.

 

And, that just about wraps it up! I tag:

 

 

I hope you had a wonderful week! Stay tuned for more content tomorrow!

thank you for reading.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Book Tags, Books

Fall Festival Book Photo Tag

Happy November, fellow bibliophiles!

I was tagged by A Little Haze Book Blog to take part in this tag. The tag itself is part of Clo and Fictionally Sam’s Bookending Autumn 2019, and this tag was originally hosted by PoetryBooksYA.

 

I’m pretty excited to take part, so let’s begin! 🙂

 

CHILLY–BOOK WITH A WHITE COVER (Sad story/plotline)

51SYIB2XZTL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Michael Belanger’s The History of Jane Doe is well-written, but be warned: it’s definitely a  rough ride, and it deals with teen suicide.

 

SWEET–BOOK WITH AN ORANGE COVER (A favorite contemporary novel)

51ztTaxJMaL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I couldn’t find many contemporary books that I really loved (much less ones with completely orange covers), but this is my most recent read in that category: Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott’s exploration of romance and grief, The Way Back to You

 

SPICY–BOOK WITH A RED COVER (Action/Fast-paced setting)

40643751.jpg

Ohhhhhhhh yeah.

I could go on for days about the The Demon World. The whole series (that’s come out), for that matter.

 

DARK–BOOK WITH A BLACK COVER (Dark, twisted theme)

9780062385437-l.jpg

The entire Three Dark Crowns  series is pretty rife with violence, disturbing sibling rivalries, and all manner of spooky stuff. All four books had me on the edge of my seat…

 

GREEN–BOOK WITH A GREEN COVER (Makes you feel jealous)

919kQRwIhwL.jpg

This was a hard one…I mean, green cover? Easy. Makes me feel jealous? Now that’s another story…

I suppose that Robert Beatty’s Willa of the Wood  doesn’t inherently make me jealous, but I’m definitely jealous of Beatty’s world-building and descriptive writing. (He’s also the author of the Serafina trilogy, which, excluding book 2, I adored in middle school.)

 

Well, that just about wraps it up!

I tag:

 

thank you for reading.jpg

 

Posted in Book Tags, Books

Halloween Creatures Book Tag

Hi there, fellow bibliophiles!

First of all, sorry for forgoing this week’s Book Review Tuesday. I went to a concert last night (Chelsea Wolfe!), and I had very little time at home as a result. Hopefully this will make up for it. 😉

 

I saw that Rae @ waesmiles reads had done this tag, and I figured I’d have a go. It was originally created by Anthony @ Keep Reading Forward, and the rules are as follows:

  • Follow the Categories
  • You Must Be Honest
  • You Must Answer All Questions to the Best of Your Ability
  • You Must Tag At Least 3 People
  • Have Fun!
  • Credit Would be Greatly Appreciated! (Keep Reading Forward)

 

Alright…here we go!

 

WITCHES–A BOOK OR CHARACTER THAT IS MAGICAL

My obvious choice here would be the Grisha trilogy. Hands down, one of the most well-crafted, magical universes I’ve ever come across. (On an unrelated note, I’m simultaneously worried and excited to see how Netflix pulls it off…)

SMM1c1z.gif

 

MUMMIES–A BOOK OR CHARACTER THAT YOU CAN’T WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND

Wrap…I see what you did there…[ba-dum tsssss]

For this, I’d have to say Miryem from Spinning Silver. Without spoiling anything major, I’ll just say that it absolutely baffled me that her relationship with a certain character turned from forced (and borderline abusive) to perfectly happy.

giphy.gif

 

VAMPIRES–A BOOK, SERIES, OR AUTHOR YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

Hmm…lots to pick from here, but the first one that comes to mind is the Heart of Iron duology. There’s so many aspects of that series that have earned it an especially soft spot with me. I really need to re-read Soul of Stars soon…

giphy.gif

 

WEREWOLVES–A BOOK THAT IS BEST READ IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

I…well…

I can’t quite think of any. I can only read more intense books during the daytime, and I don’t read around midnight much anyway…

Guess I’ll have to skip this one ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

giphy.gif

 

ZOMBIES–A BOOK YOU PICKED UP FOR THE 2ND TIME OR CONTINUED AFTER DNFING IT

Oof, I might have to skip this one, too…

Usually, when I DNF a book, it’s because of a deep-seated loathing; this usually prevents me from ever picking up the book again, so…

 

tenor.gif

 

GHOSTS–A CHARACTER YOU SAW RIGHT THROUGH OR A BOOK THAT YOU EASILY PREDICTED THE TWIST/ENDING

I read this one a while back, but the one thing I remember with clarity about Earth Force Rising was that I could see all of the major plot points coming from a mile away. Dear Lord, that was such a cringey book…

tumblr_phnyagdidn1rf50o6o7_250.gif

 

FRANKENSTEIN–A BOOK THAT TRULY SHOCKED YOU

Hands down, Other Words for Smoke. I had pretty average expectations, but once I got into it, I could NOT put it down. The writing was beautiful, and there were out-of-this-world twists around every corner…

giphy-1.gif

 

SKELETONS–A BOOK OR CHARACTER THAT CHILLED YOU TO THE BONE OR TICKLED YOUR FUNNY BONE

If we’re going for the funny bone route here, then I have the perfect example: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, WitchI haven’t laughed that much in a very, very long time.

giphy-2.gif

 

GHOULS–A BOOK THAT LEFT YOU HUNGRY, OR A RECIPE YOU WANT TO TRY FROM A BOOK

This one seems like a cliche answer, but my immediate choice is With the Fire on HighThere’s nothing I wouldn’t do to try some of Emoni’s cooking.

Okay, maybe not nothing, but you know what I’m saying. It all sounded delicious…

source.gif

 

GOBLINS–A GREEDY CHARACTER OR A CHARACTER THAT LOVES GOLD OR JEWELRY

Though she certainly isn’t greedy, per se, Genya from the Grisha trilogy was my first thought; there’s no way that she didn’t put some bling on her eyepatch. (And every other article of clothing.)

yu27qud.gif

 

DEVIL–A DARK, EVIL CHARACTER

This isn’t the most classic of examples, but my first thought was The Mage from Carry On. Deceitful, manipulative, and…well, y’know, the general evil that comes along with being the equivalent of a black hole for magic.

giphy-1.gif

 

GRIM REAPER–A CHARACTER YOU LOVED OR HATED THAT DIED

Essentially, everyone who got killed off in Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsI don’t think I’ve completely gotten over any of them, even though I haven’t read it in years.

Especially Dobby.

DOBBYYYYYY

source.gif

 

SCARECROWS–A BOOK OR CHARACTER THAT SCARES YOU

I can’t think of any character or book that really scared scared me, but for this, I’ll go with Xifeng from Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I mean, you’ve got the classic, tragic hero descending into madness storyline, sprinkled in with some tyranny and eating human hearts. Y’know, just another day at the office.

giphy-2.gif

 

MONSTER MASH–TAG YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN! 

I tag:

 

 

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day! 🙂

 

Posted in Art, Book Tags, Books, Geeky Stuff, Music

Anything But Books Tag

Happy Thursday, fellow bibliophiles!

 

I was tagged by A Little Haze Book Blog to take part in the Anything But Books Tag, and I’m so excited to participate!

Alright, let’s get started…

 

Name a cartoon character that you love.

Okay, technically, he was a comic character first, but Forager from Young Justice: Outsiders is absolutely precious.

giphy.gif

 

What is your favorite song right now?

Ooh…hard to pick, but at the moment, I’d probably have to go with “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead. Never fails to fill every fiber of my being with emotion…

 

What could you do for hours that isn’t reading? 

Drawing and writing, most likely. I’d add playing guitar as well, but…yeah, my fingers could not withstand playing guitar for hours. They’d never forgive me.

tumblr_a70a68ffc4518b4d39a736e763a6640f_6d1281e5_540.gif

 

What is something that you love to do that your followers would be surprised by?

I love to go ALL OUT for Halloween. Whether or not I end up trick-or-treating, I try to at least wear my costume to school. I was Liz Sherman from Hellboy last year, which was super fun 🙂 I dyed my hair red and everything!

giphy-1.gif

 

What is your favorite unneccessarily specific thing to learn about?

Cephalopod biology, hands down. They’re such a fascinating group of creatures; I have fond memories of spending an entire period in 6th grade watching a documentary on cuttlefish 🙂

giphy.gif

 

What is something unusual that you know how to do?

Um…

I don’t think I have any *unusual* talents, per se, but I can kind of make a kazoo noise with my mouth…

giphy-1.gif

 

Name something you’ve made in the last year, and show us if you can.

Screen Shot 2019-10-17 at 4.42.44 PM.png

I just finished this up a few weeks ago! It was a 22 x 30 drawing in Prismacolor  colored pencils, for my advanced art class. Recognize her? 😉

 

What is your most recent personal project?

I don’t have anything *super* personal, but I did pick up some watercolors after several years of not touching a paintbrush. This was the end result:

Screen Shot 2019-10-17 at 4.44.45 PM.png

Dark Phoenix!

tumblr_pnmfu8yLXG1uelgxao1_500.gif

 

Tell us something that you think about often (especially when looking out windows).

It’s inevitable that every time I stare out a window, I drift into the recesses of my mind, where my story ideas start playing like movies.

giphy.gif

Give us something that is your favorite, but make it oddly specific.

I love watching X-Men movies (no, duh, Sherlock), but at night, curled up in a blanket downstairs, and preferably with some snacks and in the company of my cats.

source.gif

 

Say the first thing that pops into your head.

They did surgery on a grape.

I’m so incredibly sorry to bring that back.

I’ve created a monster

maxresdefault.jpg

 

I tag:

 

Thank you so much for reading this post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Book Tags, Books

The Productivity Book Tag

Whoa, look at me! Baby’s first book tag! 😄 I was tagged by A Little Haze Book Blog, and I’m so excited to join in the fun!

Let’s lay out the rules for those who participate:

And most importantly…

  • Have fun! 🙂

 

Alright, here goes nothing!

 

PLANNING-A BOOK THAT IS COMPLETELY THOUGHT OUT

The Smoke Thieves–Sally Green

91-+f0-PaFL.jpg

There isn’t a place in this novel where I couldn’t find evidence of incredible attention to detail. And the world building…I couldn’t even dream of laying out something as intricate as that!

Read my review here: The Smoke Thieves

 

FOCUS–A BOOK THAT KEPT YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION

Aurora Rising–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

81DOo37t7UL.jpg

This. Book.

I swear, I think I shaved off around 300 pages in a single sitting the first time I read this. And honestly? I could’ve gone on longer if I hadn’t had to…y’know…eat…[ahem]

An absolute gem of a novel.

Read my review here: Aurora Rising

 

DELEGATING–A BOOK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIES

Last of Her Name–Jessica Khoury

39983511.jpg

Although the conclusion was perfectly satisfying, I absolutely adored the galactic setting, and all of the alien fauna. I would have loved to explore this world more, be it in a sequel or a spin-off.

Read my review here: Last of Her Name

 

SMALL GOALS–A BOOK UNDER 150 PAGES THAT YOU LOVED

Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury

71OFqSRFDgL.jpg

Okay, I’ll admit, I kinda cheated here. The edition I read was 159 pages…oH, scANDaLOuS…

Anyway, Ray Bradbury. ‘Nuff said. [mic drop]

 

PEAK HOURS–A BOOK/SERIES YOU CAN ONLY READ AT A CERTAIN TIME

Undead Girl Gang–Lily Anderson

A1DcwxGrlKL.jpg

I read Undead Girl Gang in the middle of summer, but it’s definitely best read around Spooky Time™️, what with witches, zombies and whatnot. [blasts the entire soundtrack to The Nightmare Before Christmas from a boombox]

Read my review here: Undead Girl Gang

 

LISTS–A BOOK YOU FINALLY CROSSED OFF YOUR TBR

Red Rising–Pierce Brown

81tZufOGaZL.jpg

Finally crossed off my TBR…but at what cost?

Unpopular opinion: eh…I liked Red Rising, but I found it to devastatingly overrated. Far too derivative of The Hunger Games, in my opinion.

 

PROACTIVE–A BOOK THAT IS/WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME

1984-George Orwell

41E9Z5XaHcL.jpg

I know, I know, this is rather cliche choice. But in the current political climate (especially in the U.S.), it’s far more relevant than I’d like it to be. Let’s face it: we’re living through a terrifying part of history.

 

DECLUTTER–A BOOK/SERIES THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD UNREAD

Smokeless Fire–Samantha Young

Screen Shot 2019-09-25 at 4.43.49 PM.png

GOD. Where to begin with this one…

I fell into the trap of buying this one on my Kindle, as soon as I saw that it was only 0.99. Let’s just say you’re getting what you’re paying for; highly predictable plot, writing that practically begs for an editor, and a cast of cliched and disgustingly unlikable characters. I hate to say it, but…this is more Dumpster Fire than Smokeless Fire.

Oop. That last one was kind of low-hanging fruit, sorry…

 

MULTITASKING–BOOKS YOU READ AT THE SAME TIME

Two Dark Reigns–Kendare Blake

Screen Shot 2019-09-25 at 4.49.17 PM.png

Alright, sorry, I’m cheating a little bit on this one as well. I swore off reading multiple books at once sometime before middle school, so I can’t recall any specific books before then. But, I read this around the same time I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (probably my favorite book, personally) for an English project, so I *suppose* this counts.

Read my review here: Two Dark Reigns

 

I TAG…

 

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! I promise I’ll get my blog format presentable sometime in the near future…