Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Websites | Top Ten Tuesday

This week’s TTT prompt is to list your favourite book blogs or websites. I feel like I browse a lot of sites with bookish content so I’m really excited to narrow it down to my Top 10. Let’s start!

1. Refinery29

This website basically covers any and every topic from health, style and beauty to finance, career advice, and politics. I particularly love their book recommendation section because it is so aesthetically pleasing and has a lot of variety; interviews, discussions and lists!

2. Parchment Girl

I really like frequenting this blog not only because I get a lot of great book recommendations, but also because Kate has an amazing series called ‘The Ultimate Guide to Book Blogging” where she covers topics such as monetizing your blog, writing reviews, choosing your blog design, increasing blog traffic and a lot more! The information and experience she provides is really helpful for both beginner and established bloggers.

3. Emily May

Emily is probably my favourite book reviewer of all time. She’s honest, witty and so articulate which really translates into her reviews because they are freaking amazing. She’s my ultimate role model when it comes to reviewing books and I can only dream to be just as good as her one day. I read most of her reviews on Goodreads, but I love her blog as well.

4. Bustle

This one is similar to refinery29 in that they both cover a range of topics and have an amazing books section. I’m really drawn to websites that are pleasing to the eyes and if the content is also good (like in this case) it’s just a win-win.

5. Netgalley and Edelweiss

If you’re a book blogger you’re probably already familiar with these two sites. Netgalley and Edelweiss both offer free ebooks to book bloggers in exchange for an honest review. A lot of the titles available are ARCs which is great for readers who cannot wait until the release date for certain books! It’s also great for publishers because they are able to garner more hype about a title prior to the publication date. Again a very win-win situation. (pro tip: if you sign up to these services don’t go too crazy with requesting titles, you’ll end up with 15 unread books, 8 of which you’ve already lost interest in)

6. Queen of Contemporary 

I’ve been a fan of Lucy’s content even before I started my blog. She is the creator of the weekly Twitter chat #UKYAChat which I really enjoy reading through. I like her approach to topics and discussions and her reviews are always fun to read. Her debut novel is being published in 2019 so I think she’s very motivational and inspiring!

7. Electric Literature

This is my favourite bookish website for discussions. They cover such a wide range of topics but still manage to make every single article unique and enjoyable. Amongst discussions they also have essays, lists and “read more women” recommendations.

8. Goodreads

If you do not know this site by now, I’m just going to assume you live under a rock. Besides its general function of adding and looking up books, Goodreads also has a really great blog. They make some really nice recommendations and I’m able to add books to my TBR on the spot which is pretty cool. If you’re on Goodreads, let’s be friends!

9. The New Yorker

When I am in the mood to read something more serious and sophisticated (albeit, that is rare) I think The New Yorker has some amazing and hard-hitting pieces. Some content on there can be undoubtably dull so when you finally find a hidden gem it’s such a satisfying and rewarding read!

10. WordPress! (or any other blogging platform)

Honestly no website compares to the book blogging/online community. I’ve been a part of the online book community on-and-off since 2013 and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It sincerely has the kindest and best people in it and I’m so glad to have joined it ☺️

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Do you read/use any fo the websites I’ve mentioned? If not, are you going to check out any of them? What are some of your favourite bookish blogs/websites? If you did the TTT prompt for this week feel free to link it in the comments!

Until next post,

Books with Sensory Memories | Top Ten Tuesday

This week’s TTT prompt is to choose books that are linked to a specific memory in your life. It can be linked to where you were, who you were with, what you were doing and so on. I’ve decided to link mine to places I have distinct reading memories from. I love traveling and I’m fortunate enough to have had a lot of opportunities to visit really beautiful places and create lovely memories with the books I’ve brought along. So here they are:

1. Reading Six of Crows in Amsterdam was truly an experience! I had no idea before starting the book that it was set in an Amsterdam-inspired city called Ketterdam so I was pretty hyped to find out I’d picked such a good time to read it 😀

2. Reading a heavy book like The Secret History while lazying around in Mallorca might not have been the smartest choice. I found the book very dull and unnecessarily long, and it took me more than two weeks to finish it. I will probably pick up a YA contemporary instead next time I’m out in the sun, so lesson learnt!

3. 2014 was what I like to call my “Jenny Han summer”. It’s the year To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before came out and I fell in love with Jenny Han’s writing. I ended up reading both her Burn for Burn trilogy and The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy! Aesthetic summer sunsets + a Jenny Han books = a match made in heaven

4. I can’t begin to recall all the books I’ve begun, read or finished on a plane. It’s the perfect way to pass time on a flight and I always manage to get a lot of reading done. Some of the memorable books I’ve read on airplanes include Room, Heir of Fire, Cinder, Where She Went and many more!

5. Reading by the peaceful lakeside, surrounded by nature in Montreux is pure bliss. Even more so when you have an amazing book like I’ll Give You the Sun to enhance the whole experience! Can you believe it’s been four years since Jandy Nelson’s last book?? I would sell my kidneys just to get a glimpse of her shopping list, that’s how badly I miss her writing.

6. Is there honestly a better place to read books than in a bookstore? My favourite bookstore to read in is the Waterstones in Piccadilly Circus because they have really comfy sofa chairs and a really nice cafe with delicious hot chocolate! I read a little bit of everything there; new releases, graphic novels, books I just purchased or books I brought from home. Most recently I was there reading my current read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

7. Although I dislike the winter-time because of how dreadfully cold it gets, I have to admit it makes for a pretty cozy atmosphere. I remember reading Allegiant during New Year’s Eve (priorities) a few years ago and crying for a half hour. Good times.

8. The tourist infested streets, the ridiculously priced everything, the unexpected downpour; none of these things could take away how magical Paris is to me! My first ever flight was one en route to Paris and while I did not read anything then, the next time I went for a school trip I made sure to bring Eleanor & Park which sparked my love for Rainbow Rowell!

9. The place I truly spend most of my time reading on is my bed. My bed is somewhere where I can fully relax and immerse myself into the story I’m reading. Some books I have distinct memories reading in bed are Clockwork Princess, Everything I Never Told You and Dangerous Girls!

10. Finally, one of the most memorable reading moments was when I finished the last book of the Percy Jackson series, The Last Olympian. It was such a bittersweet moment, because I wasn’t ready to let go of my favourite story and characters just yet but I also knew I would see them again in the spin off series. No other series has impacted me as much as Percy Jackson and reading the last book in the backdrop of Nice was a truly happy memory!

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What place do you associate with a very good reading memory? Where would be your dream vacation? Do you prefer summer or winter for reading?

Let’s chat in the comments!♥

Until next post,

 

Favourite Novellas/Short Stories | Top Ten Tuesday

I don’t often reach for novellas and short stories because I prefer to read in-depth characterisation and storytelling. Most of the novellas I do pick up are companions to series I’ve already read. However I feel like they’re such nice additions and always leave me satisfied because I’ve learnt something new about characters I love! So let’s get started.

1. Destroy Me (Shatter Me 1.5) – Remember when everyone was team Adam in book one of Shatter Me? Yeah me either, but that was an actual thing back then and I was a part of it. However I remember reading Destroy Me before continuing onto Unravel Me and completely changing my opinion of Warner! I’ve been a Warnette shipper ever since and haven’t looked back.

2. Maybe Not (Maybe Someday 1.5) – Maybe Someday was my first Colleen Hoover book and apart from the main couple, I really loved the character of Warren. He was so witty and brought some much needed comic relief to the novel. Well in this novella we follow him as he tries to seduce his cold-hearted and temperamental girl roommate. What could go wrong? Very short and sweet hate to love romance.

3. The Bane Chronicles – While reading all the Shadowhunter books we always hear snippets of Magnus’s crazy adventures and doings. Well in this collection of 11 short-stories we get to read those experiences as they happened! I love Magnus so much and reading about his shenanigans dating back hundreds of years ago was a very fun time.

3. The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass, 0.1-0.5) –  A few years ago I was a big fan of the Throne of Glass series and had to pick up this collection of 5 novellas. The bind-up takes place before Throne of Glass and follows Celeana as she goes on various dangerous missions as a member of the Assassin’s Guild. I was completely blown away by this novella because I hadn’t expected to love it so much. If I’m being honest I probably enjoyed it more than the actual series (the first three books I’ve read of it).

4. Stars Above (Lunar Chronicles 4.5) – Finishing Winter and then reading this novella was the perfect combination and conclusion to such an amazing series! It was great to see the aftermath of the events that took place in the last book and to know what the characters were up to in the future! After Winter I was not ready to let go of the characters and world just yet and this novella gave me the closure I needed.

5. Every Heart a Doorway, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, Beneath the Sugar Sky – This companion series is seriously becoming one of my favourites this year! I know I talk about these books a lot but it’s for good reason. They’re so unique, whimsy and dark. The characters are all so lovable and the representation is amazing. Thank god there’s another two books coming out in the series because I can’t get enough!

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Have you read any of the novellas I’ve mentioned? Do you think there’s any other novellas I should check out? Did you do the TTT topic this week? Let’s chat in the comments ♥

Until next post,

Best Books of 2018 (so far)| Top Ten Tuesday

This’s weeks Top Ten Tuesday prompt is to choose your favourite books you’ve read in 2018 so far. Honestly this is a bit of a difficult task because I’ve read 22 books at the moment and more than half of those were just mediocre reads (sadly). However I’m really excited to share the portion of those books that have already made my year 10x better!

1. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda– In a string of lacklustre and disappointing YA contemporaries, Simon vs. really proved why it deserves all the hype and love. It is just such a charming and funny book! Most of the credit goes to Simon because he’s such a likeable and memorable character although the whole cast of characters form such a diverse and lovable friend group that I always looked forward to their interactions and antics. The storyline is intriguing and actually has a purpose (which is where I think a lot of other YA contemporaries fall short). The book’s message is extremely important and the ending is very fulfilling!

2. Everything I Never Told You– I hardly think any book I read in the second half of the year will be able compete with this as my favourite book of 2018. It has seriously left a lasting impression on me and although I hardly ever re-read books I think I might just do so with this one. The book focuses on the sudden death of the eldest daughter of a Chinese-American family. The aftermath of the tragedy sets into motion a deep review of the family’s history and how their past has affected how much they fail to understand each other in the present. It reveals so much about human nature and how much our past experiences can shape our choices in the present; for better or for worse.

3. Landline– I knew I would love this book because although I am not a fan of Rainbow Rowell’s YA books (Eleanor & Park, Fangirl, Carry On) I really adored her adult novel Attachments. Landline is just as good if not better. It’s such a quick and easy read while at the same time having an interesting premise. Even though it’s short, Rainbow Rowell does a great job of keeping the reader engaged in the character’s relationships while also exploring serious topics such as marriage and career fulfilment.

4. The Hidden Oracle– Oh how I have missed Rick Riordan’s world and writing! Just the thought of Percy and the gang at Camp Half-Blood is enough to get me emotional. This book is told from the POV of Apollo who has been turned into a human as punishment and must go on a quest to prove his worth as a god. Apollo is incredibly selfish, ignorant, and narcissistic and so to watch him turn from a mighty god to a measly human is absolutely hilarious!

5. Winter– After reading Cress back in 2015 I finally managed to convince myself to finish this series and oh man am I glad I did! This was a perfect conclusion to such a fantastic series, Marissa Meyer really outdone herself. It had all the necessary elements of romance, suspense and action. This meant I was a giggling mess half of the book while intensely gripping the pages the other, which is a great combination if you ask me.

 

6. Little Fires Everywhere– Celeste Ng is really talented at writing character driven books, all her characters are dynamic and have a purpose for all they say and do. Their actions are more often then not linked back to their past experiences and the book explores how that influences who they are in the present. Little Fires Everywhere also deals with relationships between families and how their dynamics differ based on how and where they were brought up. It is insanely gripping and although its characters are the prime focus the book also manages to have a suspenseful storyline throughout.

7. Every Heart a Doorway– This was such a little surprise of a book! I did not expect to love it as much as I did. The premise drew me in and the characters and mystery made me read on. It’s about children who have slipped through magical worlds through doorways, rabbit holes, wardrobes and the like but eventually manage to come back to the real world. It deals with their efforts to adapt to their old life at a specialised boarding school while still longing for the worlds they left behind. The book turns very creepy very quick and is filled with mystery. There is great diversity in the characters and the writing is also exceptionally beautiful.

8. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine– Ok so I have technically not finished this book yet but I’m 300 pages in and I can already tell it would have made the list. It is such a quirky and refreshing book that at the same time deals with a lot of serious topics such as abuse and depression. I’m very excited to see how it ends!

 

 

So I know I’m supposed to list 10 books but honestly these were the only ones I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to others. Hopefully in the second half of the year I’ll have better luck picking up books!

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Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned? What was your favourite book of 2018 so far? Let’s chat in the comments!♥ 

Until next post,

 

 

Character Development 101 | Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. For info about the topics and how to participate, click here. 

Today’s TTT is: Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101

For mine I decided to choose Character Development 101 as the subject, because there are so many wonderful character growths in the books I read!

1. To Kill a Mockingbird

I read this novel nearly 4 years ago and I just remember being very mesmerized by Scout’s character development. Her thoughts and opinions changing over the course of the story and her growth from a innocent child to a mature young woman made a huge impact on me, especially when I was younger.

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2. Shatter Me

All the major characters in this series go through such overwhelming character development. The characters grow and change so much with each book, that by the last installment they are so different from how they were at the beginning of the series.

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3. Pride and Prejudice 

I recently re-read this novel and Elizabeth and Dracy’s character growth still hit me hard. They are both flawed characters, Darcy being a very prideful man and Elizabeth being quick to let her prejudices cloud her judgement. But as the book progresses they learn from each other how to become better people.

4. Since You’ve Been Gone

In this coming of age novel Emily, the main character, goes from a wallflower to a confident girl. I loved reading about Emily’s transformation and her willingness to get out of her shell. She grows tremendously by the end of the book.

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5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians

A major part of this entire book series is character development. Rick Riordan is a genius when it comes to writing complex and flawed characters that, by the last book, grow so much.

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6. The Heroes of Olympus

I had to include this series as well. I think I might actually prefer this one to PJO. Even thought this series has many characters they all go through their individual character development. And like I said before Riordan is a genius when writing characters.

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7. Finding Audrey

This book is extremely character driven and focuses a lot on character development. The main character, Audrey, has severe social anxiety and the book follows her journey as she tries to overcome her disorder.

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8. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

This is an amazing coming of age contemporary about accepting yourself and others. The main characters, Ari, goes from a moody and pessimistic character to a genuinely happy and appreciating person. I don’t want to give away too much, but you should read it.

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9. Throne of Glass

Everyone knows Celaena to be this badass assassin, but I love how throughout the series Sarah J. Maas also shows Celaena’s downfalls, failures, various rampages and emotional breakdowns. It makes for such a great and complex character.

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10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I think all the major characters have great character development in this novel, but especially Charlie. This book follows him trying to fit into high school and make friends while also dealing with issues that happened in the past.

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So those are all the 10 books I’d choose if I taught Character Development 101. Let me know if you agree with any of my choices or just tell me a book you would choose for this subject!

I hope you all had a lovely day and I’ll see you in my next post,