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#Blogoween |Bonded, Bewitched, Drowned

Blogoween

Prompt:

Tuesday 23rd: Bonded, Bewitched, Drowned
A Halloween version of Kiss, Marry, Kiss with your favourite book characters!

The Three Characters

Jackaby from the Jackaby Series by William Ritter

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Sherlock Holmes from The Sherlock Series by Arthur Conan Doyle

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William “Bill” Weasley by the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

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The Results

Drowned: Sherlock Holmes

I know, I know this sounds horrible but, it is what I have to do with the choices I am giving myself. The reason I picked Sherlock Holmes is because he has done a lot with his life and his creator tried to off him, but the masses wanted him back. So ultimately I am trying to help Doyle.

Bewitched: Jackaby

I feel like being around Jackaby would be a lot of fun for a short amount of time. Being around him for a period longer than even an hour could be very dangerous for anyone because of the things that always seem to happen around him and the creatures that find him.

Bonded: Bill Weasley

He is a kind and caring individual and stands up for what he beliefs in. On top of that,  family is important to him and to me that is kinda important if you are going to marry someone. Also, he is mature enough to actually be in a place where marrying could be an option.

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What would be your Bonded, Bewitched, Drowned?

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Wrap Up

WRAP UP | March 2018

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March is a wrap! This month has been an incredible reading month for me, I’m not sure what happened. I just kept zooming through books and a wide variety of them too. I have Manga, thrillers, fantasy, mystery, YA, horror and some non-fiction. I am not sure why my reading was all over the place, but it worked for me.

One thing I find interesting is that I see around the blogosphere and on booktube is that some times people have themed reading months. An example would be a classics month, science fiction month, and so on. I have never been someone who can read one type of book and only that type for a  longer period of time. Have you done this? I am always curious about what reading habits other people have, I guess I am a bit nosey. Anyway, here are the books I read this month and a few books I am in the middle of.

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Books I Finished

Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run (Death Note, #3)

Over the past month or so I have been reading Death Note, now I am pretty sure this is a manga with 13 volumes so you will be seeing a lot of these covers of the next few months. I have to say I am really enjoying this series. It makes you think about right and wrong and is it the outcome or the intentions that make people good or bad. This whole thing started because my boyfriend picked out this series when I did a little experiment with him. You can find out more about the experiment here: Haul | Boyfriend Picks My Books.

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Christine by Stephen King

Christine

I feel like Christine is one of Stephen Kings most notable novels. Most of the time when someone is talking about Stephen King they mention either The Shining, Christine, or Carrie. I was very excited to get to finally reading Christine and I was not disappointed. He always has a way of making me worried/scared of every day events or objects. I have to say that this is one of my favorites by him, easily a top 3 pick.

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Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen

Herding Cats (Sarah's Scribbles, #3)

I ranted and raved about this book in my review, you can find it here:REVIEW | Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen. I loved this book and if you have not already you should check out her twitter, she is hilarious.

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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything

I can’t believe I have not picked up this book sooner. I think I was afraid of all the hype surrounding this book when it first came out. I actually didn’t choose this book on my own. I had a bookseller pick out some books for me and this happened to be one of the books she picked. I can see why some people have an issue with this book, but I have to admit that I found parts to be surprising and enjoyable, especially the doodles.  I ended up reading  this book in a single day. If you want to see what else the bookseller picked out for me you can find that here: Haul | Bookseller Picks My Books.

DividerThe Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore

The Romanovs: 1613-1918

This is a non-fiction book that explores the Romanov rule of Russia. Now I love Russian history so this was a books I knew I needed to read. If you read into Russian history there are a few moments and stories that you would never hear happening anywhere else. While I do recommend this book I will say it would be a good idea to have a computer or some type of device where you can search some terms and countries, especially early in the book. There is references to countries and groups of people that no longer exist. There are also some Russian words and titles that are used. If you are unfamiliar with Russian history/government it would also be useful to look them up.

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Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah

I felt like this book took me way to long to read even though I was enjoying it. I looked and I started it on February 14th, I was reading it for over a month. I am not sure why, but I had a hard time picking up this book. When I did pick it up I read over 100 pages at a time and really enjoyed it. I have never really had that happen to me before. Regardless, this was a good book and I enjoyed the story a lot.

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Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Strange Weather

Joe Hill is so good at writing short novels. Each one of the novels that is present in this book was very different from one another, but they were all great. They made me think about society and what people are capable of. It also creeped me out quite a bit. Even though these are fiction they are written in a way where they seems very possible. Even though there are four novels in here I read this in a single day. I could not put it down. I HIGHLY recommend this. I think this was my favorite read this month.

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The Dire King by William Ritter

The Dire King (Jackaby, #4)

This is the 4th book in the Jackaby series. If you have read my blog for a while you will know that this is one of my top series, I think only second to Harry Potter. It is described as a mixture of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. It is funny, has adventure, great characters, and a great story line. I can easily say I have not been disappointed by a single book in this series. You really should look into it.

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I am Still Reading

Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38 by Blanche Wiesen Cook

Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38

There is not much to say about this because it is the second book in a trilogy that explores the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. I read volume 1 months ago and finally decided that I would pick up the second. Now, I can already tell that this is going to be an audiobook I am going to rent from the library. Not because it is not good, but because it is very dense and I tend to focus better on these types of books when I am cleaning or working on another “mindless” task. I know, my brain works a little funny sometimes, but all that matters is I figured out what works best for me.

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Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

Unraveling Oliver

I am currently buddy reading this thriller, I am about 100 pages into it and I am very much enjoying it. It is only about 250 pages, so it is very short. I am very much looking forward to what is going to unfold next.

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The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer

This is a non-fiction account of a boy murderer during the victorian era. I am very much enjoying this buddy read. But, be warned if you pick this up there is a lot of background about the time period not just the court case. So if you do not wish to hear about the neighborhood or what stores where in the town at the time you may find this book over detailed and long winded. I find it interesting mainly because I love learning about how people and navigated in their lives as well as the society they lived in.

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What was the best book you read this month?

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Let's Talk

Lets Talk | Preordering Books

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Hello and welcome to the March discussion post. I have been loving these the past few months. Being able to hear your options and talk about books just makes me want to blog more. I started bookishluna because I wanted to talk books and to see all the support through comments and taking part in my polls has been great. Thank-you for talking books with me. If you want to read my previous discussion post you can find them here; Lets Talk | Reading Formats Lets Talk | Big Books.

Last month we talked about big books, this month lets talk about preordering books. But, before we move on to this months discussion topic I want to go over the poll results.

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The Results


The poll this month shows that most people like big books. I will admit I was thinking that more people would say no because they can be intimidating. Either way, if you like big books or not, we can all agree that books are amazing.

What do you think about the poll results?

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When you preorder a book, you are taking a chance, it could work out in your favor or not. A big fear of mine is preordering a book and absolutely hating it. We have all been there, we read a book description or review on a fell bloggers page and thought, “This book is for me”.  We preorder it and wait. When it finally arrived we happily open it and maybe share our bookmail on our social media accounts. Then when we go to read the book it falls flat for one reason or another. This is large con when it comes to preordering books. There is no guarantee we are going to like the book.

The pros to preordering are numerous. Sometimes there are preorder goodies, I know when I preordered The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon I was sent a beautiful full colored map of the world. I still have it displayed. Other times there may be exclusive covers, extra art, stickers, and other bookish goodies. Another bonus of preordering books is they are sometimes cheaper. This is not guaranteed, but in some cases if you preorder in advance online they prices may be cheaper. But, I will admit I am an advocate of preordering at a physical books store, chain or independent if you have access to that. When you do this, chances are you will not get a discount.

Another pro, which I find the most powerful is that it supports the author. It helps them get better release day/week numbers which helps them gain support for publishing another book. Now obviously, you can do this by going to the store on opening day, but I am horrible about remember release days. This way you don’t need to remember, it either shows up at your door or you get a phone call saying you can pick up your book.

If you want to hear it from an author you can see that Melissa Albert herself says the best says to support an author when you preorder or buy it in store on the appropriate date. Buying them before release date  does not support authors. So if you see a book out before their release date, it does not help their numbers. If you want to ensure you get a copy asap preorder it online or at a bookshop. I myself have seen them out before their date and have gotten super excited because I feel like I have found buried treasure. After realizing it does not help authors I will no longer buy books early.

Thanks again for letting me use your tweet! 

Now I want to take a moment to say that you can support authors by requesting their books at the library, I don’t always have money for book and I know a lot of people are also in the same boat. Now, I did a bit of reading and the amount of financial support authors get from library sales differ from author to author. I recently read a great post on the topic, How do authors make money from library books? I was curious because I wanted to know that these authors still get the support they deserve when I put a book on hold. It seems that they do, but in different ways. Divider

For me preordering books is something I do when it meets my criteria. For me to preorder a book it has to hit at least 2 of the following; I have read 1 or more of the authors works already and enjoyed them, the description of the books pulls me in, and/or I read a review by someones I trust or know I have similar tastes too. Having this criteria has helped me greatly. I am very rarely disappointed by books I preorder anymore.

Of course there is an exception, if I have read the book as an ARC and I loved it, I am going to preorder it as well. While I do want to support authors, I want to be as sure as I can be before spending money on a book. They can be expensive and sometimes my disposable income in limited.

(Some) Books I have Pre-Ordered and the Criteria They Met

  • Illustrated editions of Harry Potter: I read them all in original format
  • The Hazel Wood By Melissa Albert: Received as an ARC and reviewed
  • Review | The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
  • The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: I read 2 books by her and the description sounded amazing.
  • The Dire King: A Jackaby Novel by William Ritter: I read the other books in the series and loved it, plus the description sounded like it was going to continue being amazing. (P.S this series is one where I loved every book) 
  •  I currently have Stephen Kings newest book The Outsider that comes out May 22nd, 2018 preordered. I have read at least 8 of his books and really enjoyed them. On top of that the description gave me the creeps, which is the point of a Stephen King book.

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What do you think about preordering books?

Do you preorder books? Let me know in the poll below.

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Tags

TAG | Valentine’s Day Book

TagTimel12:17Hello Everyone! Today I am coming to your computer, tablet, or phone with a holiday themed tag. I was tagged by the lovely Amy over at  Tomes with Tea, you really need to check her out. Thank-you again!

The Rules

1. Link back to this post and mention Taiwo @ Stuffed Shelves as the creator of this tag.

2. Link back to the person who tagged you and thank them!

3. Answer the questions (of course!)

4. You can use Taiwo’s graphic if you want but please mention them as the person who made it.

5. Tag 5-10 other bloggers.

The Questions

1. What book(s) have you been given as a gift that you loved?
I have to say that the best bookish gift I have gotten would be Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. If you have been around my blog, you know I LOVE this book/series. My aunt gave me a copy when I was very young and I fell in love with the story and characters. To this day if I am upset I start to read this classic and I instantly feel better.

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2. What book(s) would you like to give as a gift to someone else?
If I were to give a book gift it would be personalized for that person. In the past I have given my bf nice copies/collectors editions of his favorite manga. I have given my mom non-fiction books about World War II. But, if I had to say a single book that I could recommend generally to a bunch of people it would have to be Jackaby by William Ritter. Many say it is a mixture of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. If it is fun read that is the start of a series. The books are short, but packed. I have not once been disappointed by any of the books in that series.

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3. If you could gift a random person any bookish item, what would it be?
I would give everyone a bookish mug. Everyone can use a mug, specially with a sassy saying taken from the pages of a book. (I didn’t want to steal Amy’s idea, but darn her answer is great!)

4. If you could gift a random person any non-bookish item, what would it be?
If I had to gift someone a non-bookish item I would give them a comfortable blanket. I don’t know one person who has complained about having a plush and soft blanket before.


5. What do you say when a person gives you a gift you don’t like?
It honestly depends on who it is and how close I am to them. I know for me I would want someone to tell me if they do not like something so I can give them a receipt and they can return it and get something better. I also know that some people don’t ask or say anything so I always gift with a gift receipt. That way no one is put in this situation. Let’s just say if I am close to that person I am going to say something. 

6. Mention a book based around Valentine’s Day.
AI honestly don’t know a single one… oops. 

7. Mention any two tips for blogging as a gift to other bloggers and to those who may want to start a blog.

  • Never write about anything you are not interested in. It is your blog fill it with things you love. 
  • Never force yourself to write, I have seen great bloggers burn out because they turned something that was a fun way to communicate into “work”. Find what works for you, but make sure to never over pressure yourself. Just because someone else is doing something does not mean it is right for you.

8. Link to some posts by other bloggers that you loved or were very helpful.
I could go on forever, but I would have to say the most helpful and fun blog posts I have found have been:

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Now, I know that Valentine’s Day is now over, but these questions are great. I tag anyone to continue this past the holiday!

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To Be Read

September TBR | 2017

TBR

This month I am only planning on reading 2 books, mainly because I have been slowing down on my reading lately and I do not want to force myself to read and make everything worse. So without further delay here are the books I plan on reading in September…wow, it is already September. Where is 2017 going?

Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki & Owen Pataki

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This is a historical fiction novel that takes place during the French Revolution. I am excited to see where this novel takes me.

From the courtrooms to the battlefields to the alleyways of Paris, with cameos from infamous figures in French history, the Patakis have crafted an epic, action-packed novel of the French Revolution as it has never been seen before. Three years after the storming of the Bastille, Paris is enlivened with the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The monarchy has been dismantled and a new nation, for the people, is rising up in its place. Jean-Luc, a young optimistic lawyer, moves his wife, Marie, and their son to Paris, inspired by a sense of duty to contribute to the new order. André, the son of a former nobleman, flees his privileged past to fight in the unified French Army with his roguish brother. Sophie, a beautiful young aristocratic widow and niece of a powerful, vindictive uncle, embarks on her own fight for independence.

The Dire King by William Ritter

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This is the fourth book in the Jackaby series, which if you are new here, is one of my favorites. I have never been disappointed by one of these books. Each one is always better than the last. If you have never read any of these books I would encourage you to try them.

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook.


What are you going to read this month?

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Tags

The Cake Book Tag

So I was watching some booktube instead of reading today and I saw PeruseProject do this tag and I thought would be fun to do. I did make it a bit more challenging by making myself stick to books I have read in the last 12 months. Time to mix all the ingredients together and make a great book cake! P.S. All titles are linked to go to the books goodreads pages if you are interested in learning more about the books. 

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source: Princeton Public Library

 

FLOUR: A book that was a little slow to start, but really picked up as it went along.

Euphoria by Lily King 

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Euphoria by Lily King is a great book, when I finished it I knew it would be a book I would revisit. But, it didn’t start off that way. At first it was a little slow even though it was interesting, but I almost put it down for good. Then, the story picked up and I couldn’t put it down. Talk about a 180. 

Blurb: “Inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead, Euphoria is the story of three young, gifted anthropologists of the 1930s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives.” via goodreads

BUTTER: A book that had a rich, great plot. 

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

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Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel was one of the best books I read last year. I was so engrossed in the story and invested. It had an interesting concept and the plot took unexpected twists and turns. The sequel, Waking Gods, came out not that long ago and I cannot wait to get to it. 

Blurb: “A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.” via goodreads

EGGS: A book you thought was going to be bad, but actually turned out quite enjoyable. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray

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While the description of this classic sounds interesting for some reason I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it at all. But, I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it. It was the perfect mixture of having the classic critiques, gothic style, and it can still be related to the modern world. 

Blurb: “Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde’s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author’s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray’s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890” via goodreads

SUGAR: A sugary, sweet book.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

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Ah, the sugar in this book cake, The Rosie Project. I have to say I just adored this book, I think mainly because it speaks a lot to my personal life and I made a connection to it. I fell in love with this book nearly right from the beginning. 

Blurb: “Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project.” via goodreads

ICING : A book that covered every element that you enjoy about a book.  

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter 

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The Jackaby series is an auto buy series for me, I even have the next book on preorder. From the three that are currently out I have loved every single one. For my personally, that has never happened before. Even with my beloved (and most likely a lot of other peoples) Harry Potter series. There are books I am just meh about, but still enjoy. But Ghostly Echoes is great and so is the rest of the series, it is a mixture of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. I know I should not be comparing this series to other series (TV and books), but it really is. 

Blurb from book one: “Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose.” via goodreads

SPRINKLES: A book series that you can kind of turned back to for a little pick me up when you’re feeling down.

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

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Do I really need to explain this one? lol.


THE CHERRY ON TOP: Your Favorite book you have read so far this year.

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel 

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So far The Stranger in the Woods has been my top read. Mainly because it has a sense of adventure, justice, psychology, and a wonderful story that is not intimidating at all to read. This book is with well researched and has personal touches that make a great narrative. 

Blurb:”In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries.” via goodreads

If you have made it this far into this post I congratulate you, it was a bit of reading for sure. This posts question is…

What book would be your butter in your Cake Book Tag?

Thank you for reading, have a great day and happy reading!


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Wrap Up

February2017 | Wrap Up

Five Star Books:

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Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter was the only 5 star read I had this month. I loved it and you can find my review of this book here.


Four Star Books:

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This month I had 4 books I rated 4 stars. Maybe it was meant to be? You decide. 🙂 Anyway, you can find the reviews for Z and A Gentleman in Moscow here. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams  was wonderful. It reminded me of how much I love short stories. I liked all of the stories aside from one, which I think is great for a collection.. Most of the time I find myself only liking about half or a little more.  The Doctor Who box set was also a collection of short stories. Each book was roughly 40 pages or so. Each one was a retelling of a popular fairy tale with a Doctor Who twist. Sonic screwdriver and aliens included.


Three Star Books:

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These two books were overall enjoyable, but had a few faults. You can find a detailed review of these books here.


Two Star Books:

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After Alice was my lowest rated read of the month. I found it hard to get into and just fell flat. The reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because I can see why other people may enjoy it more so than I did. If you enjoy Alice in Wonderland look into other reviews, you may like it.


What was your favorite read this month?

 

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