The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe ~ Book Review

Hai peeps! I just finished a really good book by Dan Poblocki.

Something sinister lurks in the woods outside of Slade.

Gabe has seen it, or thinks he has- a shadow standing at the treeline, watching Gabe’s house with faintly glowing eyes.

Dispite Gabe’s misgivings, his new friend Seth relishes the creepy atmosphere of the forest. It’s the perfect setting for his imaginary struggle against the Hunter, a deformed child-eating creature said to leave the bones of his victims in his wake. It’s just a game, but it’s all a bit much for Gabe, who loses interest as summer ends and the days grow shorter.

But then strange things start to happen. Frightening things. And Gabe knows it has something to do with the dark figure watching him from the woods.

Is Seth out to teach Gabe a lesson? Or is the Hunter more than just a myth? Gabe isn’t sure which option is more horrifying, but he’s determined to learn the truth before someone gets hurt… or worse.

(^From the back of the book^)

I bought this book yesterday amd couldn’t put it down til it was over. There were so many twists and turns, and just when you think you know the answer something pops up that turns you on your ear!

There’s no swearing, but it is very violent and gory.

I’d recommend a 13+ for this one. And plenty of light, it gets pretty spooky!

I loved the plot and characters, 10/10 would recommend for anyone who loves horror.

Thanks for reading!

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Spooky Recommendations #2

Yas! I’m keeping up so far!

Ahem. Anyway, for the whole month of October, I will be sharing a scary book that I like every week.

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Second book of the month-

I’m not even gonna try with a summary.

This was probably the first really scary book I ever read. Up to this one, my experiences with Agatha Christie books had not been so great. (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd really messed with me)

But And Then There Were None changed my pov entirely. It’s incredibly well written, the plot is just amazing. I could go on for forever, but I’ll stop here.

Anxiety scale- 7/10

Thx for reading! Stay tuned for the next one!

Spooky Recommendations #1

Hello there! My name is Alex, and I run this blog sort of.

This October I’m going to give a weekly recommendation of a creepy/scary book I like. I’ll have a Anxiety scale, so y’all will know if you can safely read it and get a good nights sleep .)

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First book of the month-

The description won’t let me copy and paste, so I’ll try to explain.

Basically, this girl gets fed up with her family (mom, dad, and little sister) and runs off to her aunt who invites her to stay. They’re cleaning the attic when they find the aunt’s old dollhouse. It seems ok at first, but then strange things start happening and the aunt won’t tell her anything.

How was that?

Anyway, I just read this in August, I think, and it was really good. It’s not too scary, but it is creepy.

Anxiety scale- 4/10

Love y’all!!! .)

Desert Island Discs Tag

Welcome back, Charmlings!

Two posts in a row?! Alex, that’s amazing, and so unexpected!

Yep. I said I was going to post more, and I MEANT IT!!!!

OK. I was tagged by Icebreaker694 back in August of 2017. Sorry.

Anyway, thank you!

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS…

• Link back to my (BookBum’s) original post, so I can see all your answers! (Remember to do this via pingback, I don’t get notified if you just tag my url)
• Thank the person(s) who tagged you… show some love!
• Come up with your answers
• Then tag others to keep the tag going!

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PREMISE OF DESERT ISLAND DISCS…

You are cast away onto a remote island:

• You can bring 5 albums, what are they?
• You can bring ONE book (not including The Bible (or other appropriate religious texts) or The Complete Works of Shakespeare, as they are already provided and NO SERIES), what ONE book is it?
• You can have one luxury item (it has to be inanimate and can’t help you escape the island), what is it?

Albums-

Babel by Mumford & Sons

Just the Beginning by Grace Vanderwaal

Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons

The Moana soundtrack. Obviously.

Wilder Mind by Mumford & Sons

Book-

Cause I haven’t read it, and IT’S ALEX FREAKING RIDER!!!!

The Item I’d Bring-

My comfy bed! .)

I tag-

Whoever wants to do this tag.

Two Little Girls in Blue: Review

HEY GUYS!!!

Happy late new year!

 10/10

 Two Little Girls in Blue

 Mary Higgins Clark

In a riveting new thriller, worldwide bestselling suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark weaves the mystery of twin telepathy into a mother’s search for a kidnapped child, presumed dead.

Margaret and Steve Frawley celebrate the third birthday of their twin girls, Kelly and Kathy, with an afternoon party in their new home, a modest fixer-upper in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

The evening of the twins’ birthday party, Steve and Margaret attend a black-tie dinner in New York. When they return home, the police are in the house, and they are told that the babysitter had been found unconscious, the children are gone, and a note demanding an eight-million-dollar ransom had been left in their room.

Steve Frawley’s firm, a global investment company, agrees to pay the ransom. The kidnapper, who identifies himself as the “Pied Piper,” makes his terms known — on delivery of the ransom, a call will come, revealing the girls’ whereabouts. The call comes, but only Kelly is in the car parked behind a deserted restaurant. The driver is dead from a gunshot wound and has left a suicide note, saying he had inadvertently killed Kathy and had dumped her body in the ocean.

At the private memorial Mass for Kathy, Kelly tugs Margaret’s arm and says: “Mommy, Kathy is very scared of that lady. She wants to come home right now.” More unexplainable occurrences follow, indicating that Kelly is in touch with Kathy. At first, no one except the mother believes that the twins are communicating and that Kathy is still alive. As Kelly’s warnings become increasingly specific and alarming, however, FBI agents set out on a search for Kathy. The novel reaches a breathtaking climax as they close in on the Pied Piper and his accomplices, while Kathy’s life hangs by a thread.

In delving into the well-documented but still unexplained phenomenon of twin telepathy, Mary Higgins Clark tells a spellbinding tale that takes us deep into the minds of her characters while lifting us to the heights of suspense.

No. It was wonderfully written, the characters were realistic. I couldn’t put it down!

In the past I’ve only ever read Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, and Agatha Christie when it came to mystery. But a few months ago our neighbor gave me Deck the Halls, because she had two. She had only good things to say about Clark, so when I saw two more of her books at The Salvation Army and a thrift store, of course I had to buy them! This was my first time reading Clark, but I can guarantee it won’t be my last.

 4/5 (abuse, murder, and a car accident)

 Not really. But it’s definitely not for kids .)

Hope ya’ll enjoyed this review, I’m really going to try to keep it up this year.

My Favorite Books of 2017

Hey! Welcome to what will most likely be my last post of the year on ACB.

So, I’m going through my reader today, and lo and behold! Everyone and their dog is doing a “Favorites of 2017”. My first thought was “Silly peoples, it’s still the middle of the year!” My second thought was “Holly crap, it’s December?!” So now I am flailing and screaming while trying to remember all the awesome books I read this year. I might also add some books I bought recently at the bottom. K, lets do this!

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

(None of these are in order, I’m writing them as they come to me.)

I LOVE this series! I’ve read the first and second and am working on the third. But the first is my favorite so far.

Physik by Angie Sage

This is another favorite series. It makes me mad that no ones heard of it .(

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I’m actually afraid to read the other two books. Four and Tris are together and I love their relationship. I don’t want it to die!

Russian Roulette by Anthony Horowitz

This is the book that made me fall in love with Yassen. I really wish there was more to his story. BUT! Never Say Die is finally here and all I need to do is save up.

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

This is probably my favorite book of 2017. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes or Horowitz.

Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney

A few of you might have read the review I did on Revenge of the Witch. If you do, then you know I wasn’t all that impressed with Delaney. But this book was GREAT! It was much better than the first.

There you have it. Those are my favorite books of 2017. Now for the books I bought-

Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters by John Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower, & Charles Foley

Brotherband: The Outcasts by John Flanagan

Warriors: Thunder and Shadows and Fading Echoes by Erin Hunter

My Gal Sunday & Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

I. Q: Independence Hall by Roland Smith

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

And thats all, for now at least.

Love ya!

The Marvel’s Avengers Book Tag

Hey Charmlings!!! I missed you guys.

Sam@RiverMooseReads tagged me sometime in October. Better late then never, right?

Iron Man – a book that made you laugh out loud: 

I’m actually still reading this, but I love it! Jordan is an amazing writer.

Captain America – a book that sends a positive message:

Thor – a book with a characters strength you admire:

Black Widow – a book with a kick-butt female protagonist:

Hulk-  a book that made you incredibly angry:

Hawkeye – an underrated book you think more people should pay attention to:

(I’m watching Mystery Spot while writing this!)

{BONUS} Loki – a book with a twist or surprise that tricked you: 

I thought I knew, but I didn’t.

I’ll leave it open. Again.

Divergent: Review

Heyo Charmlings!!!

7/10

Divergent

Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Nope!!!

5/5

 Some kissing and talk of things but not to much.

I’m sorry for not posting much lately, things have gotten even crazier around here! We’re now raising sheep.

The Marvel’s Avengers Book Tag

Yet another thanks to Sam@RiverMoose-Reads!!!

Iron Man – a book that made you laugh out loud: 

Captain America – a book that sends a positive message:

Oops, forgot this one!

Thor – a book with a characters strength you admire:  

Holly Short, no doubt about it! She’s so strong and smart! I wish I could be like her.

Black Widow – a book with a kick-butt female protagonist: 

I just finished this Monday, I think. I have Allegiant, but not Insurgent.

Hulk-  a book that made you incredibly angry:

I love this book! BUT! The big twist near the end really threw me for a loop. I very nearly chucked it across the room.

Hawkeye – an underrated book you think more people should pay attention to:

My mom read this to me and my siblings a few years back. It seems that no one has ever heard of it, though.

{BONUS} Loki – a book with a twist or surprise that tricked you: 

Can I use City of Bones again? No? OK.

I’ll leave this open, again.

 

This is my Genre, tell me your’s Tag

Thank you Sam@RiverMoose-Reads for tagging me!

THE RULES:

• Credit my bad bad self Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek as the creator of the tag, use the created tag name graphic and link back to my blog.
• Answer the questions.
• Tag as many people as you want.

1). WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE?

This may come as a shock to some of you-

My favorite genre is….. FICTION!!!!!

2). WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR FROM THE GENRE?

Just one? Alright, Anthony Horowitz. Or Eoin Colfer. Or Angie Sage. Or Tolkien. Or Cassandra Clare. Or……

Never mind.

3). WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE GENRE THAT KEEPS PULLING YOU BACK?

All the different worlds and people created by a sequence of words!!!!

4). WHAT’S THE BOOK THAT STARTED YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE?

5). IF YOU HAD TO RECOMMEND AT LEAST ONE BOOK FROM YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE TO A NON-READER/SOMEONE LOOKING TO START READING THAT GENRE, WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

I just started this series last, last Sunday and I’m already almost done with Syren! It’s such a great series, with tons of laughs and adventure.

6). WHY DO YOU READ?

Cause I got nothing better to do. (Except write….)

I love reading because it lets me leave this realm and all it’s worries, and dumps me into another with even worse ones.

I’ll be leaving this open!

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Boyfriends

Heyo Charmlings!!!

Geez, it’s been awhile, huh? It’s lovely to see ya’ll again!

October 3: Top Ten Book Boyfriends/Girlfriends (Which characters do you have crushes on?)

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish)

I have quite a few fictional crushes….

#1

Yassen Gregorovich

I know he’s an evil assassin who has murdered dozens of people. BUT!!! He not only saved Alex, he also saved the world in Eagle Strike! Any one else would have shot them. Plus I have a soft spot for Yassen after Russian Roulette.

#2

Draco Malfoy

Do I even need to explain myself?!

#3

Artemis Fowl

Smart, sarcastic, and not very good with emotions, (not to mention Orion) that’s basically all I look for in a guy.

#4

James Moriarty (From Horowitz’s Moriarty)

I still like him, even after all those horrible things he did! (I liked him even more in The House of Silk)

#5

Alex Rider

He’s only smart and sarcastic. But two out of three ain’t bad!

#6

Dallas Winston

From… Ya know what, comment if you know who this is.

#7

Legolas

He’s an elf, he has a bow. That’s all.

#8

I honestly can’t think of any more. Um, okay then.

Who are your fictional crushes? (I really want to know, and I need new books to look for until Christmas)

The Sunshine Blogger Award!!!

Heyo my little charmlings!!!

I was nominated for this award by Shoshi way back in May. I completely forgot until I was scrolling through my bookmarks, trying to find something to do. So, thank you Miss Shoshi!!!

The rules:
-Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their post
-Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you
-Nominate 11 new blogs to recieve the award and write them 11 new questions
-List the rules and display The Sunshine Blogger Award in your post and/or on your blog

Here are Shoshi’s questions-

What is your favorite thing about reading?

My favorite thing about reading, is that it allows you to leave your world, problems, and everything else, behind whilst thrusting you into any of a countless amount of worlds and roles.

What is your favorite T.V. show?

Merlin. At least for the moment.

What is one thing that you can’t live without (books or other items)?

Music.

I can’t live without my music.

How many books do you own (ebooks and physical)?

Look, all I know is that I have over 200 unread books on my shelf. And that’s not even half of the books I own!!!

When did you start your blog?

We~ell….

I started blogging on Lordofthetrekkies about two years ago, but I started this one almost that long ago under the name “Alex’s Charming Looks”. It was supposed to be a more fashion oriented blog, but that fell flat and I turned it into a book blog. Thank God!!!

Besides reading and blogging, what are your other interests?

Writing, eating, singing, and dancing like the white girl I am.

Do you drink anything while you read?

Water and Doctor Pepper are pretty much the only two liquids I consume. (Smoothies don’t count, they are a solid)

Who are your favorite book bloggers or booktubers?

Favorites? I don’t want to offend anyone….

What book have you re-read the most?

Do you have a pet? If so, what animal and what is their name?

I don’t really have a pet of my own, but my neighbors have a puppy that, thinking she was a dude, I dubbed Artemis Short. (My neighbors are not very nice to their animals, so I try to make up for that when they come over)

How much bookish merchandise do you have?

I have two bookmarks from The Hammer of Thor and Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals.

There, now to nominate-

1. Kathy
2. Bec
3. Mandy
4. Alaina
5. Haley
6. Jill

And that’s all!!!

My questions-

1. What is your favorite social media site?
2. What is your favorite memory?
3. Are you good at dancing, or are you more like me?
4. Have you ever written fanfiction?
5. What is your favorite breakfast beverage?
6. What color are your eyes?
7. Would you rather be in the actual Hunger Games, or be an Orc is Sauron’s army during The Return of the King?
8. Grape or strawberry jelly?
9. What is your opinion on jellyfish?
10. Are you a day person, or more of a night owl?
11. Kili or Fili?

LordoftheForums

Hey guys! Lordoftheforums is now up and running!!! Come and check it out!!!

Top 5 Wednesday: Books From Before I Joined The Book-Blogging Community?

Hey! Hi! Um, yeah. It’s been awhile, huh?

Um, anyway…… Lets just do this?

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

August 23rd: Books from Before You Joined ________
— These are some of your favorite books from before you joined the online book community, whether that be booktube, goodreads, blogs, bookstagram, twitter, tumblr, etc. 

I honestly can’t remember what it was like before I had y’all breathing down my neck…..

But I think I’ve got at least 5 books pulled from my very strange early, pre-Alex years.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Animorphs by K. A. Applegate

OK, so, I’m trying to look for a good picture for this one, right? Well, lookie what I found!!!

What the crap?! I’m dying!!! Who made this? They need an award!

Oh man, ahem. Now, uh, lets move on before I lose it again.

The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant

A long time ago, in a altogether different universe, I read only horse related books. This series was my absolute favorite out of all of them. And now they are sitting on the shelf in our living room gathering dust and feeling lonely.

White Fang by Jack London

This was one of the first classics I ever read. I now own about 4 different copies and I reread it at least once a year.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Yet another awesome classic!!! Wow, I can clearly remember the first time I read it….

Alrighty then! That’s all for today. Man, I really had to dig.

The Epic Birthday Blog Tag!!!

I was tagged by icebreaker694 a long time ago, and have been saving this tag for today. Know why?

BECAUSE I’M 16 TODAY!!!!!

Yes! I am probably on my way to Arlington as you read this (I’m typing it up on Thursday). I would just like to say THANK YOU!!! to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. Now, lets get on with it!!!

 

Rules

1. Always Always Always pingback/link to icebreaker694‘s site (she wants to see your answers).
2. Post this on your birthday!!! Or not, y’know, you do you. 😄
3. Answer the questions! (You might have to do some digging, hope that’s not a problem.)
4. Tag as many bloggers as you can! (At least 1+ so the tag won’t die!)

WHEN’S YOUR BIRTHDAY (MONTH + DAY)?

August 12 2001.

WHAT’S YOUR ZODIAC SIGN?

Leo, but I don’t believe in all that mumbo jumbo.

WHAT’S YOUR BIRTHSTONE?

Peridot. My grandma bought me a gold necklace with little peridot studs in it. I still have it and sometimes I like to wear it out and about.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH THE SAME BIRTHDAY?

No, but there seems to be quite a few famous people born on the 12th of August. I only know of Ann M. Martin…

WHAT HISTORICAL EVENT OCCURRED ON YOUR BIRTHDAY?

One sec.

In 1883 the last quagga (zebra subspecies) dies at the Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam. (Not sure if these are accurate, so please don’t take this as fact)

In 1928 9th Olympic Games close in Amsterdam.

In 1936 120°F (49°C), Seymour, Texas (state record).

And that’s all the interesting things.

WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO TO CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY?

Usually I wake up, eat breakfast with my mom, open presents, then go to my dad’s office, watch Youtube, play my tablet/computer, or read. And for my B-day lunch we go to Cotton Patch.

WERE YOU BORN IN THE MORNING, AFTERNOON, OR THE NIGHT?

Afternoon, I think.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY PRESENT IN THE WORLD, WHAT PRESENT WOULD IT BE?

Hhhhmmmm, maybe meet some of my favorite actors? Belle’s library. Or maybe a horse? I’m not sure.

WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST BIRTHDAY MEMORY?

My second birthday……

My uncle dressed up in a squirrel costume and scared the crap out of every kid there. And my mom was pregnant with Xander, who would be born two weeks later.

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR NAME?

It was gender neutral and my parents liked it.

HAVE YOU EVER FORGOTTEN YOUR BIRTHDAY?

Ye-es. But my younger sibs always remember. Always…

BOOK FLASH: 5 BOOKS YOU’D WANT TO BE GIVEN ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY!

City of Bones, The Return of the King, Never Say Die, The Last Guardian, and Clockwork Prince. And since we are going thrift store shopping and going to Half-Price Books, there is a very good chance I might get some of these. If not, my grandparents gave me $20, so there’s always ThriftBooks!

LASTLY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! TREAT YOURSELF TO A GIF!

I tag any one who wants to do this tag!!!

Love y’all.

Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

Hello!!! I hope all of my Charmlings are having a good day so far.

Now, I found this tag at icebreaker694, and since I have a ton of unpopular opinions, I thought it would be fun to do.

A POPULAR BOOK OR BOOK SERIES THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE.

This will always be my answer for these questions.

A POPULAR BOOK OR BOOK SERIES THAT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO HATE BUT YOU LOVE.

OK, I confess. I loved the first book. But it went downhill after that.

AN OTP THAT YOU DON’T LIKE.

No, just no.

A POPULAR BOOK GENRE THAT YOU HARDLY REACH FOR.

Romance. Nuff said.

A POPULAR/BELOVED CHARACTER THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE.

Harry Potter himself.

A POPULAR AUTHOR THAT YOU CAN’T SEEM TO GET INTO.

Marissa Meyer. I’ve only ever read Heartless, but I’m hoping The Lunar Chronicles are better.

A POPULAR BOOK TROPE THAT YOU’RE TIRED OF SEEING.

The “strong female”. Yes, I love kick-butt girls who can take care of themselves, but I hate it when that’s over done and they refuse help from others.

A POPULAR SERIES THAT YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING.

The Twilight books.

THE SAYING GOES “THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE”, BUT WHAT MOVIE OR TV SHOW ADAPTATION DO YOU PREFER MORE THAN THE BOOK?

The Chronicles of Narnia.

Leaving this open, again.

Top 5 Wednesday: Second Book is Best

Hello, Charmlings!!!

First off, I would like to apologize for my recent disappearance. It’s been almost a week since I posted last, and I’m very sorry. I’ve been watching Youtube. Specifically Dan Howell and Phil Lester. But, I’m back now!

August 9th: Second Book is Best
–We’ve talked about series that went downhill, and series that are worth it, but which series were best in the middle?

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

This might not be easy, so bear with me.

The Guardians of Ga’Hoole by Kathryn Lasky

 

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Percy Jackson

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Well, that’s that! I’ll try to get a couple more posts up before Saturday. BTW, I’m turning 16 this weekend, and my family and I are going to Arlington. We are planning on going to the Fort Worth zoo, Pappadeaux’s for lunch, and the Texas Thrift Store. So, if you live around there, and want to meet me, I’ll be wearing my fedora-

My hair has grown past my shoulders, but I’m otherwise unchanged. I still have the purse and outfit! The jeans are ripped at the knees, I fell and tore them.

Love y’all!!!

High School Book Tag

Heyo! I was tagged by the wonderful Sam @ RiverMooseReads. I would just like to take a moment to say-

Now, I’m homeschooled. So I don’t know the first thing about “High School”, I doubt that’ll be a problem, though.

The Rules:

1. Thank the creators: Namitha @ TeenMemoir and Jasmine @ HowUsefulItIs
2. Answer the questions.
3. Add pictures! (If you want to)
4. Tag (about) 5 people.

A+ on the test: A book or character that makes you smile?

Alex Rider and Artemis Fowl. These are my favorites of each series, and Xander is reading Skeleton Key for the first time.

I love them so much! Alex is sarcastic and athletic, Artemis is sarcastic and smart. I think they would be best friends. (After Alex apologizes for punching Artemis in the face)

Sports Team: A fictional family that you would like to be a part of?

The Penderwicks are so funny and lively! Who wouldn’t want to live with them?

Class President: A book that tries to make a difference?

God, this book. I wrote a review on it a while ago, you can read it here.

I just love how there’s so many people, with so many different stories and lives. This book takes you through the feelings of several people- kids and adults alike.

High School Sweetheart: A Book character you have a crush on?

*Hysterical laughter, followed by gross sobbing*

1. Severus Snape
2. Draco Malfoy
3. Artemis Fowl
4. Alex Rider
5. Sherlock Holmes
6. Halt

And that’s not even half!

Prom Night: A book with a beautiful cover?

Ummmm……

I only own three of them .( I’m hoping to get more books for my b-day. (Oh, quick side note- I have 126 unread books of my bookshelves at this point in time.)

Spring Break: A book you can always turn to if you need an escape?

Many a summer night was spent reading this on the trampoline.

School Lunch: A book character(s) you want to have lunch with?

That’s a toughy.

Lets go with Holly Short and Sabina Pleasure. Imagine the stories they could tell!

Halloween Party: A character you would like to be for one day?

Professor Dumlbedore. I would troll the heck out of every student and teacher at Hogwarts!!!

School Bully: A villain you don’t want to go to school with?

Nate Grey from Clockwork Angel. I would beat that sorry excuse for a human until he was nothing but a pile of forgotten memories.

Graduation: A book with a bittersweet conclusion?

The Harry Potter series. I. Cried. So. Hard. *Sigh* I just pretend like books 5+ didn’t happen. (Except Luna Lovegood)

I’ll just leave this open, I’m too lazy to tag anyone specific.

 

The Shuffle Book Tag

I did this post a long time ago on Lordofthetrekkies, and that was over a year ago now. (It doesn’t feel like a year!) And now has come the time to redo it.

 

(You like? I think I’m getting better.)

Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and provide a link to their post.
2. Shuffle your itunes library, google play music library, or whatever you’ve got.
3. For each song that comes on, list the song and the artist, and name a book that it makes you think of, explaining why. (You can do as many or as few as you want, I’m not going to set a number. This is a low pressure tag. Whoever we are, we’s pretty laid back.)
4. Tag however many people you want, or everyone.

I now have over 200 songs, last time it was 117.

Just Smoke by Mumford & Sons

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Not sure why.

Unstoppable by China Anne McClain

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. The whole book is centered around Miri while she is learning to read and write and so on. Through out the story she’s using her new-found knowledge to help the people of her village.

I Gave You All by Mumford & Sons

The Inheritance Cycle (still working on Inheritance) but specifically Eragon.

White Blank Page by Mumford & Sons

(Xander wants me to put “A book that hasn’t been written. It’s a book tag, right?”)

Ummmm, this is hard. Heartless by Marissa Meyer.

I’m Your Girl by Felicia Barton

Animorphs. (Rachel, to be more specific)

Let Him Fly by Dixie Chicks

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. (Is it ok if I use it more than once?) I know why, I just don’t want explain.

Family by TobyMac

The Guardians of Ga’hoole by Kathryn Lasky.

Below My Feet by Mumford & Sons

Either The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey or The Sword of Summer Rick Riordan.

Wasteland by Needtobreathe

I don’t know….

Fixer Upper from Frozen

I might have made up a funny thing to this in my head with Thranduil. Funny to me, at least. I don’t have one from a book though.

Reminder by Mumford & Sons

I’m going with a character again. *Gasp* Alex! You’re cheating?! Please, don’t act so surprised. I am a Slytherin, after all.

Roran Stronghammer from The Inheritance Cycle.

The Mystery Blogger Award!!! (#2)

The first time I did this award, I wasn’t nominated. Yes, I cheated. But only because the questions were sooooo good, and I’d never done it before! You can find my first one here. I was nominated by JoBeth this time. Thank you so, so, so much!!!

Alrighty then! On to the- WAIT! I MUST TELL YOU!!!

I have started watching Phil Lester on Youtube. He is adorable! I love his videos already, and Dan is awesome as well.

OK, back to the award-

1. Put the award logo on your blog.
2. List the rules.
3. Thank whoever nominated you and link to their blog.
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
5. Tell your readers three things about yourself.
6. Nominate roughly 10-20 people for this award
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blogs.
8. Ask your nominees five questions.
9. Share a link to your best/favorite post that you’ve written

Thanks to the creator, OKOTO ENIGMA’S BLOG, for making this award.

Three boring facts about me-

1. I am allergic to aged cheese. (Have I mentioned this before?)
2. I love fish, crawfish, crab, shrimp, and lobster. But, unfortunately, I am allergic to these as well. (Not that that stopped me from getting salmon on my salad today [what is up with my weird allergies? I’m allergic to broccoli, for Chuck’s sake!])
3. Mumford & Sons is my favorite band.

The Questions!!! (3 is the appropriate number of !)

Is there a book that you continuously recommend to people?

Definitely a book full of feels, so lets go with-

I would recommend this to anyone who would listen. (So, basically no one?)

What is the number one thing that you look for in a book?

Other than a good cover, a sound review from a book blog I follow. I trust y’alls opinions so much.

What is your favorite kind of blog post to write?

Tags! I love doing book tags most. The best part about them is that I get to read other peoples opinions on books! *Sigh* They’re just great. .)

If you could be any book/movie/TV show character for a day, who would you be?

Where was the coolest vacation that you ever went on?

Every year on the Monday before Mother’s day, my family and I go to Kerrville for a couple days. This year was wonderful.

I nominate-

1. The Grinch
2. Amy Walters
3. Tasya
4. The Book Prophet

My Questions-

1. DO YOU LIKE FISH?!
2. What is your favorite song to listen to while reading?
3. What is your favorite constellation?
4. Have you ever flown in a plane?
5. What is your biggest fear?

Best post- The ACB Book Tag

Favorite post- Basics of a Writer Tag (Original?)

That was really fun, I’ll be back soon!

July 2017 Book Haul!!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Ok, calm down! *Deep breathe*

A couple weeks ago I bought some books from ThriftBooks, like, a lot. And on Monday they finally came in! Before that I bought more than a dozen books at the thrift store in town! So, July has been a really good month for me, bookwise. Here’s all the books I’ve gotten-

The Trift Store Haul-

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques (hopefully in order)-

1. Lord Brocktree
2. The Legend of Luke
3. The Outcast of Redwall
4. Mariel of Redwall
5. Redwall
6. Mattimeo
7. Pearls of Lutra
8. The Long Patrol
9. Marlfox
10. Triss
11. Loamhedge
12. Rakkety Tam
13. High Rhulain

and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

ThriftBooks haul-

1. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
2. The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
3. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
4. House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
5. Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz
6. Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz

I would have gotten The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer, but it was too exspensive. I’ll just have to wait to complete the Artemis Fowl books. Meanwhile, Alex Rider is getting a new book in October. I also wanted to get The Lunar Chronicles, but they were way more than I could afford. As for Mockingjay, I can’t read it until I get Catching Fire.

Oh, I almost forgot! I won an ebook of The Songweaver’s Vow by Laura VanArendonk Baugh and a signed paper back copy of Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals by Peggy M. McAloon & Anneka Rogers. Elle Burton also came with a book mark. I am somewhere in chapter 8 of the ebook, and haven’t started the paper back. I have so much going on right now. Pumpkin has pink eye and I’m having trouble eating without throwing up. I’m not sick, I just have a poor diet and a weak will when it comes to food that tastes good. Plus I’m still working on The Oldest Waterpark EVER!!!, so I guess you could say I’m very busy.

And my dad ordered four more books by Raymond Feist. He basically turned fangirl and said I had to read them. Now I know how Xander feels. *Sigh* Well, I have to go get started on the dishes *cue eyeroll* (hmmm, I should probably clean the ceiling…)

Mini Review: The Kid Who Became President

 5/5

 The Kid Who Became President

 Dan Gutman

 2000

Judson Moon has done a big flip-flop. Immediately after being elected President of the United States, he resigned. Now, after a heart-to-heart with his running mate (and ex-babysitter) June Syers, Judd has decided to take office after all: He wants to make a difference.
Being President is anything but easy. Between dealing with a crazed South American dictator and people who are trying to kill him, Judson starts to wonder if it wouldn’t be better just to go back to being a kid in Madison, Wisconsin. But with a lot of help from his friends, Judson might just figure everything out.

No. But there are a few points I’d like to talk about.

I started this book because I was bored and didn’t feel like reading a long, engrossing book. (Like all the others on my TBR) It soon became apparent that this was not the fluffy, sappy children’s book I first believed. The Kid Who Became President touches on quite a few things. Like how the press will say what they want people to believe, that not everyone is perfect, and freedom. Here are some quotes-

The presidency is like a suit. Many try it on. Sometimes it fits. Sometimes not. And sometimes… one grows into it.

pg. 177

 

I learned that no matter what you do, a lot of people are going to be angry. Let me give you some examples. The President has to find a way to protect the nation’s forests and also protect the job of a man who makes a living cutting down trees. The President has to help the poor without penalizing people who worked hard to become rich. The President has to work to end prejudice and also protect a bigot’s freedom of speech. The President has to reduce people’s taxes without taking away the services people need.

pg. 209

There was very little violence (one man is shot, there’s talk of war, etc) or anything inappropriate. I highly recommend it for all ages.

 

Top 5 Wednesday: Childhood Favorites

Geez, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a T5W or a T10T. Lets remedy that, hmmm?

July 12th: Children’s Books
–This can include Middle Grade (but try to recommend more than just Harry Potter and Percy Jackson!) Feel free to talk about your childhood faves or more recent reads. 

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

Yet another trip down memory lane! I actually didn’t read HP or PJ when I was younger, I only started those in the past couple of years. So, there is no worries, I can easily come up with 5.

#1

Animorphs by K. A. Applegate

Xander and I grew up on the Animorphs series, and it has greatly influenced me in how I think and how I write. I seriously doubt I would be the me I am right now without it. Now, of course, when I reread some of them I realized that the writing and grammar where awful, but that doesn’t lessen them in my eyes.

#2

White Fang by Jack London

This is the book that started my love of wolves, and between this and Animorphs, it’s no surprise that I created a race of werewolf/shifters, is it? I read the heavily abridged version first, and didn’t get to the unabridged until a few years ago. It is still one of my favorite classics.

#3

Baby-Sitting is a Dangerous Job by Willo Davis Roberts

I have a couple books by Roberts, and this is the only one I’ve read. BUT! It is another old favorite. I reread this so many times, there are parts I could probably quote!

#4

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

My aunt bought this series for us one Christmas and my mom read it to us. So, it holds some very important memories.

#5

The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan

I have yet to finish this series, but I really loved it when I was younger. Halt contributed many personality traits to some of my current characters.

The Wishlist Book Tag

Yeah, I know it’s Monday, and that it’s time for a TBR post. BUT! I have some big surprises coming later this week or early next week and a TBR might spoil it. So, we are going to do this tag that I found at The Book Prophet

Tis’ an amazing blog. You should check it out.

1. Pick the two books you most want to purchase/receive at this moment

&

Yesterday my family and I went to Barnes & Noble, and I found TFIOS, but unfortunately I hit my budget for awhile. As for The Last Guardian, I can’t find it ANYWHERE! .(

2. Pick a book that you have wanted for the longest time

I have wanted this for years! But my dad won’t buy it because he says I already own it. THE BOOK WEIGHS FOUR POUNDS AND HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO READ THAT?! It has all three LOTR books as well as the afterwards, calendars, and so on. I can’t even pick the darn thing up!

3. Pick a sequel or companion story that you want to own

I just bought Mockingjay at the thrift store, and I already own The Hunger Games, but Catching Fire is proving very illusive.

4. Pick an entire series (or box set) that you want to get your hands on

There are literally dozens of series I could choose, but I’ll stick with The Lunar Chronicles cause I really want it.

5. Pick a book from a favorite author of yours that you want to own

*Cue maniacal laughter*

Just one?! There are so many to choose from! Hmmm, maybe I’ll get lucky on my 16th b-day….

To answer that question-

I love the first two PJ books (that’s all I’ve been able to get my hands on) and I also adored The Sword of Summer. I’m hoping to get this one soon.

6. Pick a popular book that you really want on your shelves

I have heard so many good things about this book. I just hope I won’t have to wait long.

7. Pick a book that you just recently decided that you wished to own

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this until I saw it at B&N. Now its on my TBR. Along with hundreds of others.

8. Pick a book that is either in the mail or you are going to purchase next

9. Pick a hidden gem novel that you would like to read

Does this count? I discovered it a few months ago and it seems pretty cool.

10. Finally, pick a new release you really want to have

Not sure if this counts as a “new release”, but I would like to read it since I loved Clockwork Angel so much.

Well, that was fun! I’ll just leave this open for whoever wants to do it.

Tookish Tag

I found this beauty at The Road of a Writer and couldn’t help but do it! (She did it a long time ago, but luckily I’m one of those weird people who go through everyone’s old posts) In case you didn’t know, I’m a huge LOTR and The Hobbit fan. I’ve seen all the movies and have read all but The Return of the King.

Rules

• Link back to the blogger who nominated you
• Answer questions
• Tag some of your own fellow Tolkienknights!

How were you first introduced to LotR/TH and was it love at first sight/read?

The first time I can remember watching LOTR was at a Mexican restaurant here in town. We were waiting on our table and I look up at the TV just in time to see Frodo pull Sam into the boat, you know the scene I’m talking about. Anyway, I turn and ask my dad what movie it was and my uncle just explodes (hes a hard-core fan as well), saying that I needed to watch it and that my parents have failed in raising me, blah blah blah. Long story short, my dad bought all three movies and I have loved them ever since.

If you could meet the actors who portray the characters in the movies, would you?

DUH!!!!!!! I would love to meet them!

What is your favorite credit song from LotR/TH?

Gollum’s Song is my absolute favorite, with The Last Goodbye and Pippin’s song as close seconds.

The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit – which is your favorite?  *evil laugh*  (And no, you don’t actually have to decide.  I’m merciful like that. *magnanimous smile*)

The Hobbit. And its all because of Bilbo.

Who is your favorite all-around character?

Bilbo Baggins, hands down.

What is your opinion on Boromir?

That he did what he thought was right to protect his people. And I would have done the same.

 How many times have you watched the movies/read the books?

I lost count somewhere around 8 trillion ,)

What book is your favorite?

Although The Hobbit is my favorite all around, my favorite book is The fellowship of the ring. There’s just so much that wasn’t in the movies!

Who is your favorite female character (other than your answer to question #5)?

I’m gonna agree with Ms O’Carroll, Eowyn. She’s so independent and awesome! I’m glad she ended up with Faramir.

Who is your favorite male character (other than your answer to question #5)?

He reminds me of one of my dad’s friends.

I tag any and all Tolkien fans out there!!

 

Mini Review: Stormbreaker

 5/5

 Alex Rider: Stormbreaker

 Anthony Horowitz

 2004

They told him his uncle died in an accident. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, they said. But when fourteen-year-old Alex finds his uncle’s windshield riddled with bullet holes, he knows it was no accident. What he doesn’t know yet is that his uncle was killed while on a top-secret mission. But he is about to, and once he does, there is no turning back. Finding himself in the middle of terrorists, Alex must outsmart the people who want him dead. The government has given him the technology, but only he can provide the courage. Should he fail, every child in England will be murdered in cold blood.

No.

 9/10 Very, very, very violent.

 Yes. Some, but not much.

 No, not in this book.

 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books Without Romance (Do these even exist?!)

Hey! Welcome back, my little Charmlings! Hows your week going so far? Now, I know that things have been a little strange for the past week or so, but I’m trying to get this back under control while still working on The Jumper (its a new story I’m writing. Camp NaNo is helping some). Lets just get on with it, eh?

uly 5th: Books Without Romance
— A few (very, very few) people complained about the “shipping” topics lately, so I thought it would be good to talk about books that don’t have a romantic subplot! This is a really hard one, so if you can’t find any, you can talk about some where the romance is super super minor. Like barely mentioned… at all…

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

Now, we are gonna go way back down memory lane for this one!

#1

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts

My God, how I loved this book! Cause, what is better than a friendless girl with telekinesis who lives with her mom in a small apartment and loves cats?! I can’t think of anything better.

#2

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

 

 

 

Surprisingly, this Christie book has no romance. It was very good, though. And that twist at the end! Man!

#3

The Dragon of Cripple Creek by Troy Howell

This is what started my love of dragons. I should really re-read it….

#4

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Yet another little girl with telekinesis. I’m not sure if she likes cats though.

#5

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Ooooooooooh! How I cried! I thought I wouldn’t but I did. Such an amazing story.

Mini Review: Artemis Fowl

 5/5

 Artemis Fowl

 Eoin Colfer

 2003

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories—they’re dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Nope!

 8/10 Pretty violent. Lots of trolls and one really violent scene. Nothing too horrible, though.

 Um, not too much. Some very minor curse words.

 No.

Well? What do you think?

 

TBR #6

OK, so the mini-review I posted yesterday got a lot of attention. That was unexpected. Hopefully we can keep it up!

 

 (Goodreads)

Walking around New York City was what Mitty Blake did best. He loved the city, and even after 9/11, he always felt safe. Mitty was a carefree guy: he didn’t worry about terrorists or blackouts or grades or anything, which is why he was late getting started on his Advanced Bio report.

Mitty does feel a little pressure to hand something in if he doesn’t, he’ll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would be unfortunate since Olivia’s in Advanced Bio. So he considers it good luck when he finds some old medical books in his family’s weekend house that focus on something he could write about.

But when he discovers an old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, the report is no longer about the grades: it’s about life and death. His own.This edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave you breathless.

First off, I love the cover. Second, I added this to my TBR because a blogger friend of mine read it and had some good things to say. And I love the cover.

 (Goodreads)

Todd Anderson and his friends at Welton Academy can hardly believe how different life is since their new English professor, the flamboyant John Keating, has challenged them to “make your lives extraordinary! ” Inspired by Keating, the boys resurrect the Dead Poets Society–a secret club where, free from the constraints and expectations of school and parents, they let their passions run wild. As Keating turns the boys on to the great words of Byron, Shelley, and Keats, they discover not only the beauty of language, but the importance of making each moment count.But the Dead Poets pledges soon realize that their newfound freedom can have tragic consequences. Can the club and the individuality it inspires survive the pressure from authorities determined to destroy their dreams?

I loved this movie! Its amazing, funny, and sad all at the same time. So, of course I want to read the book! And Neil looks like my crush! .)

 (Goodreads)

Colonel Bantry has found the strangled body of an exotic blonde bombshell lying on his library hearth – and the neighbors are beginning to talk! When Miss Marple takes an interest, though, things begin to move along nicely, and its all far more convoluted – and sordid – than the genteel Bantrys could have imagined.

A curmudgeonly financier, his self-absorbed adult children, a couple of pragmatic and clever hotel workers, tons of money and influence, a wild local lad, some smitten girls, the film business, mix into a classic Christie plot filled with twists, turns, and doublebacks galore. Plus the glorious settings of A Great House, a fancy Hotel, and an excessively genteel little village, and lets not forget Miss Marple…

Ahhh, Agatha Christie. One of my favorite authors. I’ve read so many of her books, and yet they’re all so unpredictable! This is one I’ve been looking forward to reading.

Mini Review: Clockwork Angel

   4/5

  Clockwork Angel

  Cassandra Clare

  2010

  
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

Not really. The way Clare writes kinda reminds me of myself. The way we describe things and write characters is very similar. I just wish it was longer.

  8/10 very violent with lots of blood and gore and torture. A really lovely read! ,)

   A few minor swear words, nothing too horrible.

  Some innuendoes. There’s two teenage boys, its to be expected. A few mentions of brothels and one scene near the end that is a little suggestive.

Well. I hope you enjoyed my first Mini Review!

 

 

 

(Goodreads)

Basics of a Writer Tag (Original?)

Ok. So, I’m not sure if anyone’s ever done this tag before, but I haven’t been able to find one. Tell me if it stinks, K?

Rules!

1. Link back to the original post and give credit to the creator

2. Thank the person who tagged you

3. Answer the questions below

4. Tag 5-20 other writers to do it

5. Don’t be afraid to add your own questions if you have ’em!

 

The QUESTIONS!!!

Do you write better when listening to music?

Yes. Its pretty much the only time I can write.

Do you have a “writing playlist”? Whats on it?

Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, three One Direction songs, a couple of Jewel songs, Johnny Cash, some Maroon 5, and Dixie Chicks.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Mah BED! Or the kitchen while I’m doing dishes.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in the various books I read and movies I watch. Sometimes peoples and nature inspire me, but its very rare.

What is your favorite type of character death to write?

Off screen. Very few details and lots of mystery.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

Quite often in fact.

How do you deal with it?

READ! WATCH TV! WASH DISHES! The list goes on and on, but they don’t usually work.

What was the worst story you ever wrote?

The worst story I ever wrote was a sort-of FanFiction of LOTR with a main character named after Arwen.

I don’t like to talk about it.

Do you prefer tea or coffee when your writing?

COFFEE! If I can get it. But tea will do.

What about snacks? Bitter or sweet?

Bitter and salty for me. One of my favorite snacks is Caesar salad dressing with a carrot to dip in it. I also like beef sticks and jerky.

When do you usually write best?

When its cold and raining. Bad weather just wakes up the artist in me.

Where do you go for help when you can’t find the right word?

Google.

Are you part of any writing groups? (Here’s mine @Teen Writers)

^Yes^

Have you ever tried to write FanFiction?

Again, yes. I’m still working on it. (Its a Supernatural fanfic)

Was it any good?

I dunno. I’m still doing “research” for it 😉

Are you a Planner or a Pantser? Maybe a little of both?

I used to be a pantser, but recently I’ve started planning my books in advance.

And finally- are you published?!

NO! NOT YET! Soon………………………

I tag-

1. Chloe
2. Kenzie
3. Alexa
4. Ms O’Carroll
5. Evi

And any other writers out there!

Here are the questions-

Do you write better when listening to music?

Do you have a “writing playlist”? Whats on it?

Where is your favorite place to write?

Where do you find inspiration?

What is your favorite type of character death to write?

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

How do you deal with it?

What was the worst story you ever wrote?

Do you prefer tea or coffee when your writing?

What about snacks? Bitter or sweet?

When do you usually write best?

Where do you go for help when you can’t find the right word?

Are you part of any writing groups? (Here’s mine @Teen Writers)

Have you ever tried to write FanFiction?

Was it any good?

Are you a Planner or a Pantser? Maybe a little of both?

And finally- are you published?!

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I’ve Read So Far In 2017

Hey Charmlings! Sorry for disappearing. I get into these weird moods sometimes where I don’t want to do anything but sleep and write. I don’t even want to eat! So I end up losing several pounds in just a few days. These “moods” can last for months at a time, so it looks like we got lucky this time around! ,)

Anyway,  its Tuesday! Time for T10T!!!!!!!!!!

June 27: Best Books You’ve Read In 2017 So Far (break it down however you want — by genre, strictly 2017 releases, whatever!)

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish)

#1

Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz

(Just a quick note- These are in no particular order. I’m naming them as I remember ’em.)

I love this series!!!!!! And Snakehead is one of my favorites.

#2

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

I just finished this one yesterday and LOVED IT!!!!! But, how could I not? Its Agatha Christie!

#3

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I have to say, I’m impressed. I wasn’t expecting much from Clare, cause of all the hype. But I was pleasantly surprised by this book. (It may seem a little strange, but I found that I write very similar to Clare. The way we describe things and create characters. I just. Wow.)

#4

The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer

SECOND FAVORITE BOOK IN THE SERIES!! My first favorite is The Atlantis Complex, but I read it last year and so couldn’t include it here .(

#5

Wrath of the Bloodeye by Joseph Delaney

As some of you know, I didn’t really like the first book. But ^this^ was awesome! Probably because I wasn’t reading it for a review.

#6

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

#7

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

#8

The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer

#9

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

#10

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

 

Gtg, the dishes call……………….

Get To Know Me Tag

First off I would like to shout thank you to Nikki @The Night is dark and Full of Books.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us begin!

VITAL STATS

Name: Alex
Nicknames: Cha-I-Ke-You, kid! (With 8 kids it get hard to remember names…)
Birthday: August 12
Star Sign: Leo
Occupation: Full time nanny, reader, and blogger.

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Ok, its mostly light brown with natural blonde, dark brown, red and even some black, highlights.

Hair Length: From the base of my skull to the tips it measures 10 and 3/4 inches long. (I have a mini tape measurer in my purse)

Eye Color: Dark green

Best Feature: MY VULCAN EYEBROW!!!! My left eyebrow curves up slightly at the end. I’m very proud of it.

Braces: No. I’ve never needed them.

Piercings: NEVER!

Tattoos: I would like to get one that says “How you doin’?” and I want the words to be made out of grass blades. So that every time my crush sees it he’ll turn beet red. 🙂

Right or Left: Right

FIRSTS

Real Holiday: My family went to Galviston when I was really young. I have some memories of it.

Best Friend: We are still kind of friends. She really only talks to me when her other friends aren’t around.

Award: *Sigh* This is embarrassing. I used to go to a local christian school a few years back. Um, I would tell “stories” to make my life sound more interesting. So, one year at graduation my teacher (whom I was never really fond of) gave me the “Whopper Award”. I was furious and still, to this day, can’t eat Whoppers. Thanks Miss C.

Sport: Hahahahahahah!!! I have never done sports! I was in cheer for a while, but thats it.

Concert: *Even louder sigh* Winter Jam. I’ll leave it at that.

FAVORITES

TV Show(s): Merlin, Liv and Maddie, Lost, and Star Trek

Color: Black

Song: Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons

Restaurant: Cotton Patch Cafe

Shop: The thrift store where I get most of my books

Book: Alex Rider: Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

Shoes: Heh, they’re old and ratty with holes everywhere, but I love them! They are black with white laces. Very comfy, but my mom won’t let me wear them in public!

CURRENTLY

Feeling: Uncomfortable. My knee is swollen again.

Single or Taken: Single, kind of? *Glares pointedly at crush*

Eating: Spearmint gum.

Thinking About: My lazy, oblivious crush *cue mega eyeroll*

Watching: Nothing. I was watching Surfs Up a few minutes ago.

Wearing: Loose fitting distress jeans, a Minion T-shirt, and a towel draped over my head (I just got out of the shower).

FUTURE

Want Children: Heck yeah! I even have names pick out!

1. Tauriel Elvana
2. Severus Draconus
3. Luna Winter
4. Aiden Marvalo Harrison
5. Jaylah Scarlet
6. William Sherlock Scott

I’m only expecting to have six, thanks to the ring test, but its been wrong before. I am hoping for more.

Want To Be Married: YES! *Pokes crush over and over until he yells at me*

Careers In Mind: Stay at home mom and author

Where You Want To Live: Near enough to my parents to walk there every day. I am not leaving them!

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

God: Absolutely!!!

Miracles: Yes!

Love At First Sight: Yes, its real.

Ghosts: Ye-es I do. I could go into the multiple theories I have that explains their existence, but it would take too long.

Aliens: Again, yes. Its impossible and highly illogical that we are all there is.

Soul Mates: How could I not? My parents are soulmates, and the only reason, in my eyes, that someone wouldn’t believe in them is simply because they haven’t found their’s yet.

Heaven: Yes, yes I do.

Hell: Yes.

Kissing On the First Date: It depends on 1) Is he cute? or 2) What has he eaten?

Yourself: I… I don’t know…. Do I believe in myself? Wait! Am I even real?! OHMYGOSH! Guys! What if I’m not real? What if I’m just a figment of someone’s imagination?! HELP!!!

Well that was fun…

P.S. This tag is open to any and all who wish to participate.

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Side Ships

Heyo! Sorry for missing yesterday, life’s been pretty crazy lately. Now that the formalities are over, lets begin!

June 14th: Side Ships
— Tell us your favorite relationships that don’t involve the protagonist!

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

(BTW, I have a ton of side ships!)

#1

Draomine- Harry Potter

I HATED that Hermione and Ron ended up together! (No, Pinterest had nothing to do with this!) This is a much better match then the canon ship. And no one can convince me otherwise.

#2

WinterWidow- Marvel Superheros

In my opinion, the whole Bruce/Tasha thing stunk. To high heavens! I have two different ships including Tasha- WinterWidow and CaptainWidow. But I ship WinterWidow just slightly more.

#3

Juliet Butler/Mulch Diggums- Artemis Fowl

The two of them are so CUTE together! Especially in The Eternity Code. I just. I can’t explain!

#4

Ivy Morris/Jacques- The Unicorn Chronicles

They were married. But, their not anymore? It’s been a long time since I read these books…..

#5

Luna Lovegood/Neville Longbottom- Harry Potter

Of course. One of my OTPs (who actually has only one?!). They should have ended up together! Why didn’t they?! .( This was #1 on my list of problems with the series. (#2 is Harry himself)

THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE T5W SO FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem. Who do you ship? .)

TBR #5

Good morning peoples! Its time for a TBR post!

 (Goodreads)

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

I have heard so much about Maas but haven’t been able to find any of her books! And I’m not all that sure I’ll like them, there’s so much hype!

 (Goodreads)

 Precocious Katy Thatcher always knew she wanted to be a doctor like her father. She joins him on his rounds and has a keen interest in the people around her. She’s especially intrigued by Jacob, a gentle, silent boy who has a special sensitivity toward animals. While Jacob never speaks to or looks at Katy, they develop an unusual friendship and understanding. The townspeople dismiss Jacob as an imbecile. Katy just thinks of him as someone special who has a way of communicating with the animals through his sounds and movements.
And only Katy comes to realize what the gentle, silent boy did for his family. He meant to help, not harm. It didn’t turn out that way.

I have some mixed feelings about Lowry. While I loved Gathering Blue and Number The Stars, I hated The Giver. Still haven’t finished Gossamer, but it seems really cute.

 (Goodreads)

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once.”

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

This is one of those books that you want RIGHT NOW. You don’t want to wait until you can afford it. Everything I’ve heard about this book has been good! And I seriously can’t wait until I can buy it.

8 Charming Sci-Fi Books

Welcome back my Charmlings! How has your week been thus far? I hope its been better than mine!

#1

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I have yet to finish this book, my dad doesn’t want me reading it so young. But I loved what I did get to read! It was remarkably well written.

#2

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is an amazing concept, and I’m really looking forward to rereading it. Maybe I was too young the first time around…..

#3

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

I grew up on the abridged version and have always loved it! It was one of the first books I ever cried over.

#4

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

So long and thanks for all the fish,

So sad that it should come to this,

We tried to warn you all but oh dear!

The movie is a favorite in my family and I can’t wait to get my hands on the books!

#5

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I have heard so many great things about this series! WHY ARE THEY NOT ON MY BOOKSHELF?!

#6

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

I think I might have been to young to really understand what was happening when I first read this series, so I’m going to try again soon.

#7

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Who doesn’t love Harry Potter?!

#8

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Again, loved the movie, but haven’t read the book yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results of “Books for Review?”

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 62.5%  (5 votes)

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 25%  (2 votes)

Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz 12.5%  (1 votes)

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare 0%  (0 votes) 

So, it looks like I’ll be reading The Hunger Games first. Review when I’m finished! .)

The ACB Book Tag

Not too long ago I made a book tag. It didn’t go over well. But maybe I can try again?

I made a new banner! Isn’t it nice?!

The Rules

1. Thank the person who tagged you

2. Use the tags banner (should be at the top of this post)

3. Mention the creator @Lordofthetrekkies

4. Answer the questions below

5. List three of your favorite blogs

6. Tag at least two others to try this tag

The Questions-

A-Annoying- Name a character that got on your nerves.

Opal Koboi from the Artemis Fowl books. She is one of my top 20 favorite villains, but she is really annoying.

L-Labyrinth- A plot that’s hard to understand.

Did he get the colt, or was it a dream?! I couldn’t follow the story. I had no idea what was real and what wasn’t, or was it all a dream? This book gave me a headache.

E-Excellent- What book, in your opinion, has the best writting?

My mom read this book to my siblings and me, and I loved it from the beginning. The writing was really good too.

X-Xenograft- A plot/situation/character-type thats been way over used.

The whole “damsel in distress” thing is way over used! We are not helpless!

C-Careless- A book that is filled with plot holes and inconsistency.

Ugh! I could go on and an about this book! Thankfully the 5th book looks better (yes, the 5th, it was at the thrift store!).

H-Helpful- A book that’s always been there for you.

I would read this at the end of a long day, and it really helped! It made me see that life could always be worse then it is now.

A-Anticipation- A book that you’ve wanted to read for a while.

I still can’t find it!

R-Ravaged- A book to movie adaptation that really stunk.

Wanna guess?!

IT STUNK SO BAD! Like seriously, how can you mess up THIS bad?! 

M-Metamorphic- A character that changed a lot.

Artemis Fowl. He went from selfish, snobby, and friendless to selfless, sweet, and friendly in just a few books!

I-Ingenious- A one of a kind story/character.

I have never read anything like it! (I could rave about how AMAZING this book is for hours, so I’ll be kind and stop here)

N-Narrative- A retelling of a story that you like better then the original.

AW YAS! A Jack and the Beanstalk retelling?! I love, LOVE, LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!

G-Guru- Your go to author

Kathryn Lasky! She wrote the Guardians of Ga’Hoole and the Wolves of the Beyond and those are some of my favorite childhood reads. If her name is on it I’ll buy it!

I Shall Tag-

1. Icebreaker694
2. JessicaMarie493
3. Katie
4. Chloe
5. Smudged Thoughts
6. Thebookprophet
7. Nikki
8. Anyone named Sam or Dean

And you! Yes, you. I tag all my Charmlings! Enjoy the beautiful gift I have given you!

Top 5 Wednesday: Books That Slytherins Will Love!

Yes, I am a Slytherin. And I’m proud to represent these cunning individuals! (I love T5W!)

Books For Your Hogwarts House
— Show your Hogwarts House Pride, and tell us the top 5 books that represent your house!

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

#1

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Artemis is a classic Slytherin (he might also fit as a Hufflepuff). His adventures are full of devious schemes, I really loved them!

#2

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Ah yes, Alex. He would be Artemis’ Watson if there was ever a cross-over. Hes smart, quick, and (unlike me) very agile. The villains he faces are ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what they want!

#3

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

What list would be complete without The Hunger Games? Although I didn’t like it the first time I read it, I’ve decided to give it another try.

#4

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Four outstanding children against a man who wants to take over the world! I will always recommend this.

#5

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My favorite Agatha Christie book. Full of murder, mystery, and suspicion this will make you never sleep again! ,)

There you are, five books to choose from. What house are you in?

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Fantasy Books I’ve Recently Added to My TBR

Previously on Alex’s Charming Books-

Just kidding! Welcome back. I’m surprised peoples are actually hanging around. But anyway, it’s Tuesday again! You know what that means!

June 6:  10 Books From X Genre That I’ve Recently Added To My TBR List — I want to know what books have piqued your interest lately from whatever genre you choose!

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish)

I wasn’t sure if I was going to do this weeks topic, then thought YOLO! (Don’t tell my youth pastor I said that, she hates it when people say YOLO)

#1

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I bought Allegiant and decided to  read the other books before starting it, so this is now on my TBR.

#2

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

I got this the same day as Allegiant. It seems pretty cool, I just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

#3

The Black Elfstone by Terry Brooks

I saw the show on Netflix a few months ago, but only recently found out there were books.

#4

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black

I grew up on the movie and have been looking forward to reading the books. But they’re so expensive! I can’t find them anywhere at a decent price .( .

#5

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I know it’s scary and I’ll never sleep again, but I LOVED the movie! We aren’t allowed to watch it cause of the younger kids, but if I can get my hands on this book you better believe I’ll read it!

#6

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

I only added this to my TBR for the cover, without reading anything about it. I just read the summary AND I WANT TO READ IT KNOW! It sounds dark and violent and right up my alley! The only problem is I’m not sure my parents will let me. They have been more lenient with books lately. Not sure why, but I’m glad. Just a couple years ago they would never have let me read things like Agatha Christie, Alex Rider, or The Last of the Mohicans. Mom was hesitant to let me read The Outsiders! Maybe it’s because I’m growing up?

#7

The Shock of the Night by Patrick W. Carr

I loved the Staff and the Sword books and really want to continue reading Carr’s work.

#8

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I wasn’t going to read the rest of these books, but why not? The first book was ok.

#9

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I haven’t read any of Clare’s books yet, even though I own two of them! I really need to handle up on my TBR….

#10

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I learned my lesson with Artemis Fowl, ALWAYS READ THE BOOKS IN ORDER! I have City of Ashes but I’m gonna read ^this^ first. I don’t want to be confused again, and I would like some surprises here!

TBR #4

Yay! I love doing these posts! .) I have some amazing books for today, so lets get started already.

 (Goodreads)

When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel — a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring — they’re swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course.Now it’s up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak’s missing parents while they’re at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

I wasn’t all that sure if I wanted to read it at first, but then I though “what the heck, I’ve done worse!” and bought it.

 (Goodreads)

It’s Armageddon Time for Artemis Fowl

Opal Koboi, power-crazed pixie, is plotting to exterminate mankind and become fairy queen.

If she succeeds, the spirits of long-dead fairy warriors will rise from the earth, inhabit the nearest available bodies and wreak mass destruction. But what happens if those nearest bodies include crows, or deer, or badgers – or two curious little boys by the names of Myles and Beckett Fowl?

Yes, it’s true. Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl’s four-year-old brothers could be involved in destroying the human race. Can Artemis and Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police stop Opal and prevent the end of the world?

This is the only book in the series I don’t own! I can’t find it anywhere! Don’t worry precious, we’ll find it. Oh yes, we’ll find it………

 (Goodreads)

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol — a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I know I said I would never read the other Hunger Games books, but I really want to know what happens!

Searching Saturday: C Authors

Saturday again! Jeez, time is flying.

Searching Saturday is a weekly meme created by Nikki @TheNightIsDarkAndFullOfBooks

‘C’ Authors
 Search for books of which the authors LAST name starts with an C.

#1

The Shock of Night by Patrick W. Carr

I had no idea Carr wrote anything else! I’ve read his Staff and the Sword books, but that’s all!

#2

The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

Isn’t it beautiful?!

Only two again. Bye!

8 Charming Summer-y Covers

Good day, Charmlings! Welcome home. Now, to business! We shall be exploring some Summer-y Covers! .)

#1

Catching  Fire by Suzanne Collins

This is gorgeous! I want it soooooooooo bad!

#2

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Not my favorite cover, but it does remind me of summer.

#3

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

So pretty! .)

#4

The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall

#5

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Give it to me!

#6

 A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

The first and second books were really good, but the third kinda stunk. At least, it did for me. Highly recommend this one.

#7

Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor

Oh, I LOVE this book!

#8

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Books for Review?

Hey! I need some help. I had a book I was going to review, but decided against it cause I couldn’t finish it. So I’m here to ask for help-

Please vote! I’ll announce the results next Thursday.

May Wrap-Up

Heyo! I can’t believe May is already over! Geez. It feels like it should only be March. Huh, well. Here we are! Time for the first Monthly Wrap-Up for Alex’s Charming Books! Shall we begin?!

1. At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie 3/5
2. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer 4/5
3. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer 4/5
4. Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer 4/5
5. Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer 5/5
6. Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer 5/5
7. Alex Rider: Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz 4/5
8. Alex Rider: Skeleton Key Anthony Horowitz 5/5
9. Alex Rider: Eagle Strike Anthony Horowitz 4/5
10. Alex Rider: Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz 5/5

(As you can see, I like sarcastic teenage boy characters. I also have a slight crush on Yassen Gregorvich. Don’t judge me!)

Tags-

1. The Goodreads Book Tag
2. The Book Blogger Memory Challenge Tag
3. The Rainbow Book Tag

TBR-

1. TBR #1
2. TBR #2
3. TBR#3

Top Ten Tuesday-

1. T10T Top Ten Favorite Moms in Literature
2. T10T Top Ten Summer-ish-y Book Covers
3. T10T Top Ten Most Anticipated Books For The Second Half of 2017 (More like Top 2…)

Top 5 Wednesday-

1. T5W Summer Reads
2. T5W Fandoms I Am No Longer In

Searching Saturday-

1. Searching Saturday: Unknown/Not-So-Very-Popular Books!

8 Charming Fridays-

1.  8 Charming Fairy Tale Retellings

And that’s all for May! Not bad for my first month at this.

Books I’ll Probably Never Read Tag

 

Hello, hello, hello! Greetings Charmlings and visitors! Today we shall be exploring books (yes, again. That is what a book blog is for!). I found this at Thrice Read. Now, the questions-

1. A really hyped book you’re not interested in reading?

Too much cussing, not very well written, but the plot was neat. (I never finished it! I got as far as the underwater boat-thingy)

2. A series you won’t start/won’t be finishing?

Animorphs. I read part of the last book and decided to never finish.

3. A classic that you’re just not interested in?

I just, ugh! I couldn’t keep going! Sorry to all the Jane Eyre fans out there, but I’m not one of you!

4. Any genres you never read?

Romance, Historical Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

5. A book on your shelves you’ll probably never actually read?

How can I?! I read a spoiler and it wrecked my childhood! .(

Well, that wasn’t so bad, right?! Now I shall do the unthinkable!

Tag, You’re IT!

1. JoBeth
2. Nikki
3. Ms. Keene
4. Icebreaker694

and you, lovely peoples!

 

Top 5 Wednesday: Fandoms I Am No Longer In

(Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!)

*Gasp* My Charmlings are back! Hello!

I missed last weeks T5W and it was a really neat one, too! .( Anyway, lets just get going, shall we? 

May 30th: Fandoms You Are No Longer In
–Everyone has those fandoms they used to be super invested in, and now are no longer a part of.

#1

Once Upon a Time

Yesh…. I miss it though. But I can’t forgive them for what they’ve done!

#2

DC Comics

Eh, I used to like DC when I was younger. But now its just dumb.

 

#3

Gravity Falls

Please don’t kill me! I have no way to watch the show! We got rid of our cable when it was just beginning, and it was never on Netflix.

#4

Narnia

The ending of the last book. That is why. I’ll still read the books and watch the movies, but I am no longer with this fandom.

#5

Dork Diaries

Is this a fandom? I dunno, but I guess I just out grew it. Its still cute.

 

Well, that was pretty easy. What fandoms have you dumped?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books For The Second Half of 2017 (More like Top 2…)

Hello my little Charmlings! (That is what you, my followers, are now called)

Ugh, new releases. I don’t read “popular” books. At least, not while their “popular” . I’d love to read authors like John Green, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare! But I can’t afford them, I have found some Clare books at my favorite thrift store. Now, let us see what I can come up with!

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish)

#1

Magnus Chase: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

Ok, I haven’t read The Hammer of Thor yet. But, to be fair, its pretty hard to find! We don’t have a book store here, and the closest one is almost an hour away! Gah! Stupid small town!

#2

The Adventurer’s Guide to Dragons by Wade Albert White

 

The cover isn’t out yet, but I’m hoping for a really nice one to match the first book. Gosh, I loved The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes so much! *Sigh* I can’t wait to get my hands on this!

And that’s all folks! ,) (That’s a Nick Fury winky face)

Right. Laters!

TBR #3

Oh, yeah! Third TBR! Things actually seem ok here 😉 . Now den, let us begin,

 (Goodreads)

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

 I was given this by one of the women at our homeschool co-op and my dad said it was good….

 (Goodreads)

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

Everyone seems to love Cassandra Clare. I hope its as good as I’ve heard!

 (Goodreads)

In a world where fairies lurk and curses linger, love can bleed like the prick of a finger…

Briar Rose knows her life will never be a fairy tale. She’s raising her siblings on her own, her wages at the spinning mill have been cut, and the boy she thought she had a future with has eyes for someone else. Most days it feels like her best friend, Henry Prince, is the only one in her corner…though with his endless flirty jokes, how can she ever take him seriously?

When a mysterious peddler offers her a “magic” spindle that could make her more money, sneaking it into the mill seems worth the risk. But then one by one, her fellow spinner girls come down with the mysterious sleeping sickness…and Briar’s not immune.

If Briar wants to save the girls—and herself—she’ll have to start believing in fairy tales…and in the power of a prince’s kiss.

I don’t own this book yet, but I will! Soon!

Searching Saturday: Unknown/Not-So-Very-Popular Books!

OMYG-O-S-H!!! I just found this meme! It looks so COOL! Ok, calm down Alex. Don’t scare them away. *Deep breath, out through the nose* Lets give it a go, k?

Searching Saturday is a weekly meme created by Nikki @TheNightIsDarkAndFullOfBooks

The topic for today is “Search for books that have under 1.000 Goodreads ratings but are published at least 2 months ago.”

Spindle by Shonna Slayton

In a world where fairies lurk and curses linger, love can bleed like the prick of a finger…

Briar Rose knows her life will never be a fairy tale. She’s raising her siblings on her own, her wages at the spinning mill have been cut, and the boy she thought she had a future with has eyes for someone else. Most days it feels like her best friend, Henry Prince, is the only one in her corner…though with his endless flirty jokes, how can she ever take him seriously?

When a mysterious peddler offers her a “magic” spindle that could make her more money, sneaking it into the mill seems worth the risk. But then one by one, her fellow spinner girls come down with the mysterious sleeping sickness…and Briar’s not immune.

If Briar wants to save the girls—and herself—she’ll have to start believing in fairy tales…and in the power of a prince’s kiss.

This one seems interesting….

The Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby.

He is going to save the world.

And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn’t quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

If Bobby wants to see his family again, he’s going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning….

I have one book in this series, but I haven’t read it. (and I know this has almost 40,000 ratings, I couldn’t find anything else! I searched all over Goodreads! So, just leave me alone on this!)

This was quite a bit harder then I thought it would be.

 

8 Charming Fairy Tale Retellings

Sooooooooooooo. This is the first ever 8 Charming Fridays! I love fairy tales, but I love retellings even more! Let us BEGIN!

#1

The Thief and the Beanstalk by P. W. Catanese

This was the first retelling I ever read 🙂 .

#2

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

#3

Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead

#4

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

 Why do I not own these yet?! The covers are gorgeous and everyone seems to LOVE them!

#5

Spindle by Shonna Slayton

 I just discovered this book. It seems like a pretty cool story….

#6

The Brave Apprentice by P. W. Catanese

 I haven’t read this one yet, but I’m really looking forward to finding it.

#7

The Eye of the Warlock by P. W. Catanese

#8

The Mirror’s Tale by P. W. Catanese

I haven’t read most of these, but I’ll get around to it.

Love y’all!

Rainbow Book Tag

I did this tag a long time ago on my other blog and thought it would be cool to redo it here. I love book covers, they’re half the reason I buy books 😉 .

RED

I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony. Haven’t gotten around to the other two.

Orange

Two Charles Dickens books, Great Expectations & Oliver Twist. Then there’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling.

Yellow

Lots of Nancy Drew. I’ve read all the paperbacks and all but one of the hardbacks. The one on top is The Black Rood by Stephen R. Lawhead.

Green

Hatchet, How to Train Your Dragon #2, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief.

Blue

Tons of Agatha Christie and The Hardy Boys.

Indigo/Turquoise

The Dragon of Cripple Creek, Steinbeck’s Ghost, and a Dear America book.

Purple

Pink

These are pretty much the only pink books I own.

Brown

I have more, I just don’t feel like finding them right now.

White

Black

My favorite color. 🙂

I am leaving this open!!!

Top Ten Tueday: Top Ten Summer-ish-y Book Covers

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish)

This weeks T10T is all about SUMMER!

So, I will be sharing my favorite Summer-ish-y covers! Lets do this!

#1

Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

How could I not mention Magnus?! This is one of my favorite covers EVAH!

#2

The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White

#3

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

#4

Lara at Athenry Castle by Kathleen Duey

#5

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

#6

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

#7

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

#8

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

 #9

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

#10

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

 

Aren’t they all GORGEOUS?!

Thanks for dropping in this week! Tune in next time for more book-ish crazy! 😉

May 22, 2017 Book Haul

MY NEW ALEX RIDER BOOKS CAME IN TODAY!!!!!!

I worked my tail off to earn the $13 it cost to get them. I cleaned all the ceiling fans in the house, swept and mopped the kitchen floor, “tidied” the living/dining room area (that place is NASTY) plus a lot of other stuff that I can’t remember. The result was 7 GORGEOUS new books! Of course I’m still buried in un-read books, but they can wait. MAH FELLOW ALEX CALLS! 😉

I also rearranged my shelves. They’re not perfect, but they’re close.

I finished all the Artemis Fowl books I own (I’m only missing the last one) and I’m in the middle of reading 5(ish) books, one for a review here. Oh, I have a new OTP!

Holly Short and Artemis Fowl!!!

They are so adorable together!

I could just go on and on about all this, but I’m supposed to be doing dishes. Sooooo, bye!

TBR #2

So, we are here for the second post in my TBR (To Be Read) series! As I said last week, in this post I will share three books from my MOUNTAINOUS TBR pile.

 (Goodreads)

For centuries, the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves has captivated the imagination. Now the familiar tale takes on new life, fresh meaning, and an unexpected setting.

This one was given to me by someone in our homeschool Co-op. They were just gonna throw away a huge pile of books! So I ended up taking most of them. I haven’t read many Fairy Tale retellings, so I’m not sure what to expect from this.

 (Goodreads)

Published originally in 1941, this book is about a young boy, Alec Ramsay who finds a wild black stallion at a small Arabian port on the Red Sea. Between the black stallion and young boy, a strange understanding grew that you lead them through untold dangers as they journeyed to America. Nor could Alec understand that his adventures with the black stallion would capture the interest of an entire nation.

I have another book in this series, can’t remember the name, but it was AMAZING! Once I got into it I read it pretty fast. Then I reread it a few years later. It was still as amazing as it was the first time.

 (Goodreads)

“Nukik! Lincoln gasped, his skin tingling. Could this be happening! Had he just seen a whale with a white tail? Was it now going to give itself to him, as Vincent had said?

Lincoln still could not believe it. He had had only one thing in mind when he made the long trip from Massachusetts to Barrow, Alaska, and that was to find his Uncle Jack. He thought Vincent Ologak, an Eskimo whaling captain, could tell him where to find him, for Vincent was the man Uncle Jack had planned to see when he went to Alaska to help save the bowhead whale from extinction.

But Vincent Ologak cannot or will not give Lincoln a straight answer. As far as he is concerned, Lincoln is there for a very different purpose from the one he himself imagines: A whale is coming to Lincoln, a whale that will end two years of waiting and suffering for Vincent’s people.

Nothing in Lincoln’s past experience quite prepares him for the whaling camp at Barrow. Here ice is a living presence and the temperature is so cold that spilled water hits the ground as ice balls. Here for the first time he meets young Eskimos-especially Unpik, with whom he falls deeply in lovewhose strong identification with their Eskimo culture leads Lincoln to question his own identity. But above all else it is Vincent Ologak’s vision of him that teaches Lincoln more than he has ever learned anywhere before.

Jean Craighead George blends masterfully observed nature scenes and a wry story of first love in one of her most appealing and moving novels.

Life in today’s New England hasn’t prepared Lincoln for the ways of an Alaskan whaling camp. But it’s there that he draws strength from an Eskimo captain’s vision of him and his connection with Nukik, the whale that gives itself to Lincoln and the people of Barrow.

I read Julie of The Wolves years ago and it was pretty good. I was too young to really understand what was going on, but I still liked it. So when I found this I just couldn’t help myself.

8 Charming Fridays

Hello! Welcome back to my book blog! Today I decided to start a weekly book meme (like Top Ten Tuesday and Top 5 Wednesday). It has a Group on Goodreads and the official page is here. It would be so awesome if some of you could participate! I worked really hard to come up with a name and prompts. Not to mention the banners.

The Book Blogger Memory Challenge Tag

Hi Peoples! I found this tag at The Book Nut.

This tag was created by Laura @ Laura’s Book Reviews. 

Here are the rules:

1.  You must answer these questions without looking anything up on the internet and without looking at your bookshelves!!
2. Once you’ve completed this tag, tag 5 other book bloggers to answer the questions next.

Name a book written by an author called Michael.

The Necromancer by Michael Scott

Name a book with a dragon on the cover.

The Dragon of Cripple Creek by Troy Howell

Name a book about a character called George.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Name a book written by an author with the surname Smith.

Even though Smith is a very common last name, I can’t think of ANY authors with that name! 😦

Name a book set in Australia.

One of the Heartland books is set in Australia. GAH! I can’t even remember the authors name!!! vKUF&DTE%YS%YS^D&!

Name a book with the name of a month in the title.

Again, nOTHING!!

Name a book with a knife on the cover.

Uh, one of my Agatha Christie books has one. WHY BRAIN? WHY YOU NO REMEMBER?!

Name a book with the word ‘one’ in the title.

I even cheated and looked at my bookshelf! NOTHIN’!

Name a book with a eponymous title.

Um. Nope. 😦

Name a book turned into a movie.

The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

 

I failed to bad! 😦 I thought my superior intellect would help me! GAH!

I am leaving this tag open!

Top 5 Wednesday: Summer Reads

Top Five Wednesday is a book meme that Lainey started, and is now hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes.
If you want to join in checkout the Goodreads page!

Ok, um. I will be trying this ONCE to see if I like it. Uh, hehe. here we go?

May 17th: Summer Reads
–The weather is heating up (for half of the world), so what books remind you of summer and are your quintessential summer reads?

I’ll go with books that remind me of summer, k?

#1

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

I know, this isn’t very summer-y. But when I was little I used to lay on our trampoline on summer nights and read this book. Over and over.  So it really reminds me of summer.

#2

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

I love this series! I need to reread it soon….

#3

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

This was one of my favorite books growing up. And the cover is just gorgeous!

#4

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I read this book when I was pretty young. A family friend (we called her Meemee) got on to me for reading it. She thought I was too young for some of the content! 😉 If only she knew some of the books I’ve read. (I’m looking at you, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children!)

#5

Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville

^THIS^ started my love for unicorns!!! I’ve read and reread books 1 & 2 and. Just. Gah! I wanted to go to Luster sooooooooo bad! 😦

 

And that’s that! I might do this again, no promises!

Book Pics (And A Plea For Help)

Today is a day for random pictures. Of my books. A month or so ago I did a photo-shoot with some of my favorite cover designs. Warning- The quality is horrible.

Although, my favorite is this one-

I recently bought 70-90-ish new books and I’m running out of space on my bookshelf. And we don’t have room for another one. Does anyone have any tips on organizing my shelf?

Top shelves

Bottom shelves.

Sorry for the bad quality, but I only have my kindle to take pictures with.

I’ve tried googling “how to organize a bookshelf with lots of books” and nothing useful came up. I seriously need help cause I just ordered 7 new books from ebay, and I don’t have room for them!

PLEASE HELP!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Moms in Literature

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish)

All covers are from Goodreads!

#1

Doter- Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

 I love how supportive Doter is! Even though she isn’t Miri’s mother she encourages her, comforts her, and is there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Doter is my absolute favorite mother figure in literature!

#2

Angeline Fowl- Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

“There’s no video network in Iceland. I should have checked.”

“Hmm,” Said his mother, and Artemis knew that syllable well. It meant that she suspected him of something, but didn’t know what exactly.

“So you are in Iceland?”

Artemis was glad there was no video feed, as it was more difficult to lie face-to-face.

Of course I am. Why do you ask?”

“I ask because the GPS puts you in the North Atlantic Ocean”

Artemis frowned. His mother had insisted on a GPS function on the phone if she were to allow him to go off alone.

“That’s probably just a bug in the program,” said Artemis as he quickly tapped into the GPS application and manually set his location to Reykjavik. “Sometimes the locater is a little off. Give it another try.”

Silence for a moment, but for the typing of keys, then another hmmm.

“I suppose it’s redundant to ask whether or not you’re up to something? Artemis Fowl is always up to something.”

-Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

#3

Sally Jackson- Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

 I just found their relationship so amazing. How Sally would do almost anything to keep Percy safe, but loving him too much to part with her son.

#4

Molly Weasley- The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

How

Can

You not love Molly?

#5

Thunderheart- Wolves of The Beyond: Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky

 Thunderheart is truly awesome. Her love for Faolan is unequalled.

#6

Laura Hardy- The Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon

#7

Mrs. McLaughlin- My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hare

#8

Mrs. Mullet- A Summer Secret by Kathleen Fuller

#9

Mrs, Ogden- The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor

#10

Mama Ya-Ya- Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 Although she isn’t Lanesha’s (God, I love that name!) real mother, Mama Ya-Ya raised her.

Well, that was fun! Who are your favorite mothers in literature?

TBR #1

Hey guys! Mondays are TBR (To Be Read) days! So, this basically means that I will select three books from my TBR pile to share with you people.

 (Goodreads)

Where do dreams come from? What stealthy nighttime messengers are the guardians of our most deeply hidden hopes and our half-forgotten fears? Drawing on her rich imagination, two-time Newbery winner Lois Lowry confronts these questions and explores the conflicts between the gentle bits and pieces of the past that come to life in dream, and the darker horrors that find their form in nightmare. In a haunting story that tiptoes between reality and imagination, two people—a lonely, sensitive woman and a damaged, angry boy—face their own histories and discover what they can be to one another, renewed by the strength that comes from a tiny, caring creature they will never see.

I have three other books by Lowry and I loved Gathering Blue and Number The Stars. (I HATED The Giver) so of course I had to buy this one!

 (Goodreads)

“My name is Slither, and before my tale is finished you’ll find out why.”
The dark is full of terrifying creatures. And Tom Ward—the seventh son of a seventh son, and the Spook’s last apprentice—hasn’t seen all of them. Far from the county, one named Slither has lived for hundreds of years, hunting blood.
But a dying father binds the monster to a bargain. If Slither will take his two youngest daughters safely to their family in the south, then the eldest daughter, Nessa, is his.
For Nessa the nightmare is just beginning. And when Slither and Nessa cross paths with the feared witch assassin Grimalkin, they will become unwitting players in the quest to stop the Fiend once and for all

I was not impressed with the first book in this series, but I found Slither at our favorite thrift store and just had to see if it got any better.

 (Goodreads)

The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby’s father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?

I have one through six of the Septimus Heap books. unfortunately I haven’t gotten around to reading any of them yet. It seems like a really good story and I’m pretty excited for it.

The Goodreads Book Tag

THANK YOU ICEBREAKER694 FOR TAGGING ME!! This is the first tag on my new-ish book blog! I hope this sticks.

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU MARKED AS READ?

Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan was the last book I marked as read. But the last book I finished was Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

Artemis Fowl; The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO READ NEXT?

Artemis Fowl: The Last Colony by Eoin Colfer

Third Girl by Agatha Christie

DO YOU USE THE STAR RATING SYSTEM?

I will. Once I start doing reviews on here….

ARE YOU DOING A 2017 READING CHALLENGE?

No. But I might try one next year.

DO YOU HAVE A WISHLIST?

Yes, and its very long-

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Magnus Chase and The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan, and Divergent by Veronica Roth

To name a few.

WHAT BOOK DO YOU PLAN TO BUY NEXT?

The Return of The King by J. R. R. Tolkien

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE QUOTES?

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS?

1. Eoin Colfer
2. Arthur Conan Doyle
3. Agatha Christie
4. J. R. R. Tolkien
5. Kathleen Duey
6. Kathryn Lasky
7. Andrew Clements
8. Betty Ren Wight
9. R. L. Stine
10. Lois Lowry

HAVE YOU JOINED ANY GROUPS?

No, I’ll have to look into that!

Leavin’ This Tag Open Y’all!