Tea & Tomes

OKAY I read 118 pages of the Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey and I'm not feeling it, so I'm giving in to my fantasy cravings. 

For the remainder of the readathon I will try to finish: Rebel Spring and Stormdancer. 

Books finished: 1

Pages Read: 517

Mood: Feeling tired; popping the tylenol now. Excited for a night of fantasy-themed fun though! 

Snacks: Arizona iced tea, ruffles all dressed chips, and a ceasar pita!

Read-From List:

-The Demon King

-Her Dark Curiosity

-The Monstrumologist

-Imaginary Girls

Hello readers! :) Heres how my day has gone so far:

Time Reading: 8am-11:50am (3 hours, 50 minutes)

Books Finished: 1

Currently Reading: Nothing. Just finished The Demon King, moving on to something else in  a few minutes.

Snacks: Two cups of earl grey tea, a cinnamon raison bagel, and a cheeseburger

Mood: Pumped up! Nothing feels better than getting a book finished.

Pages Read (Total): 253

Book List:

-The Demon King

I mentioned this readathon in my last post, and here it is: my official declaration of participation!

What is it?

"For 24 hours, we read books, post to our blogs about our reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day. It happens twice a year, in April and in October." -from the websites about page

What will I be updating about?

I'm planning on updating every 3 hours, with:

Pages Read

Books Finished

Current Mood

Snacks Eaten

Currently Reading

Because of my timezone, my start-time is 8am on Saturday.

My goals:

I'd like to finish 3 books, though its not a big deal to me how much I finish, as long as I read consistently the whole day. I want to be up the full 24 hours.

I want to do a couple mini-challenges, and find some new blogs to follow! 

Game Plan:

1. Start with some shorter books, to feel accomplished earlier on.

2. Stay loaded up with both snacks, and real meals. Stay hydrated.

3. Change up my location every so often: don't want to get sore. Do some stretches. Take a quick walk.

4. Comfy clothes! I'm wearing sweats and a nice bookish-shirt.

5. Bright room late at night/read outside on the porch with some blankets 

6. Nothing long and dense later in the day! No classics

7.Have lots of options in case mood reading strikes hard

8. Have lots of variety of genres

Today was very sad. One of my favourite bookstores is permanently closing.

On the plus side, that means their entire inventory is on sale! So of course, I picked up some things. I ended up getting 3 books, a cute bookmark, and a bookish t-shirt.

I got only short books for the Deweys 24-Hour Readathon tomorrow (which I will be posting updates on every 3 hours here)

Title: Dubliners

Author: James Joyce 

Edition: Paperback, Penguin English Library

Page #: 224

Goodreads Description:

This work of art reflects life in Ireland at the turn of the last century, and by rejecting euphemism, reveals to the Irish their unromantic reality. Each of the 15 stories offers glimpses into the lives of ordinary Dubliners, and collectively they paint a portrait of a nation.

Title: Utopia

Author: Thomas More

Edition: Paperback, Penguin Classics

Page #: 192

Goodreads Description: In his most famous and controversial book,Utopia, Thomas More imagines a perfect island nation where thousands live in peace and harmony, men and women are both educated, and all property is communal. Through dialogue and correspondence between the protagonist Raphael Hythloday and his friends and contemporaries, More explores the theories behind war, political disagreements, social quarrels, and wealth distribution and imagines the day-to-day lives of those citizens enjoying freedom from fear, oppression, violence, and suffering. Originally written in Latin, this vision of an ideal world is also a scathing satire of Europe in the sixteenth century and has been hugely influential since publication, shaping utopian fiction even today

Title: Birds of a Lesser Paradise

Author: Megan Mayhew Bergman

Edition: Paperback, Scribner
Page #: 272

Goodreads Description: Exploring the way our choices and relationships are shaped by the menace and beauty of the natural world, Megan Mayhew Bergman's powerful and heartwarming collection captures the surprising moments when the pull of our biology becomes evident, when love or fear collides with good sense, or when our attachment to an animal or wild place can't be denied.

Also some additional purchases:

Fahrenheit 451 t-shirt from out of print clothing

One of my favourite dystopians!

Fox Bookmark from Bookjigs Bookmarks

Foxes are my favourite animal, and also boyfriends last name. Perfect :)

Do titles matter to you?

A bad title doesn't affect how I feel about the contents of the book, aka how much I like it. But great titles can draw me in from the get go.

That said, generally when browsing I take more notice of cover design, but a well done title can intrigue me and stir my imagination.

I'm tired of books with generic, one word titles, and have been so attracted to longer titles lately, such as:

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

All the Truth That's In Me

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There

Days of Blood and Starlight

The Man Who Rained

The Secret Lives of People in Love

  etc.

So tell me! Have you ever been so intrigued by a title that you bought the book? What are some of your favourites?

I saw this topic on Top Ten Teusday, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, and though it is neither a Tuesday nor the current topic, I really wanted to respond to it!

1. Illustrations. 

 2. World War Two setting

 3. Dragons!

 4. Kick-ass powerful female fighters/assasin's

 5. Serious Teen Issues (sexual abuse, mental health, etc.)

 6. Fairytale-esque

 7. Described as having lyrical, poetic writing. Love me some gorgeous prose. 

 8. Excellent Cover Design (maybe I'm shallow. Oh well)

 9. Unique dystopian world

What about you? What makes a book automatically go on your to-read list? What draws you in? Please do comment! 

Actually Purely Awful

1. Umbridge, HP

2. Reyad, from Poison Study

3. Lord Aron, Falling Kingdoms

4. King Leck, Graceling

5. Humbert Humbert, Lolita

6. Richie, Eleanor and Park

7. Wickham/Willoughby, P&P and S&S

8. Lord Khasar, Book of a Thousand Days

Detailed, Made me Feel Conflicted/Sympathetic

1. Draco Malfoy, HP

2. Murtagh and Thorn, Eldest

3. Warner, Unravel Me

4. Thomas, Prodigy

5. Lord Ido, Eon/Eona

6. Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

LOVE BECAUSE OF THEIR EVILNESS 

1. Bellatrix Lestrange

WARNING: I am BAD at sticking to TBR's because I'm such a mood reader. 

(I'm including a link here about mood reading by perpetualpageturner!)

But these are the books I want to read, and hopefully review, in the upcoming month.

P.S Click the link to see the goodreads description.

1. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi 

I was lucky enough to win this as a giveaway from goodreads.com! I'm currently about 103 pages into it, so I'm hoping to finish this soon. 

For those who don't know, Helen Oyeyemi is the author of the supercalafragilisticexpialadotious book Mr. Fox which is easily in my top 5 favourites of all time. Her books have a twisted, psychological magic that sticks with you. Her writing is surreal, lyrical and beautiful. And since this is a loose fairytale retelling of Snow White, it is right up my reading alley.

2. Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo

Countless reviewers have fawned over this book, and since I am on a fantasy kick, this  magical, Russian set fantasy novel is a clear priority. This is the first in the Grisha series. 

Bonus: The whole series and the novellas have excellent covers.*whispers*so pretty

3. Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Another fantasy, (first installment in the Fire and Thorns series), which I am about a third of the way through! Thus far I adore it (awesome main character, good intrigue and pacing), and am shipping ships left right and center. Can't wait to finish!

4. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer 

About a man who drops everything, cuts his ties to society and goes to live in the wilderness, this nonfiction biography-memoir book sounds so promising. I've been having a stressful time of late, with school and my future, and I'm hoping this book will provide some insight into what drives people to feel so trapped in our modern society. I'm intrigued to see if I agree with the ideals and beliefs presented here and I'm excited to vicariously taste the freedom.

5. Champion by Marie Lu

This is the third and final book in the Legend trilogy. I have loved the series so far, (surprisingly, Prodigy, #2 even more than Legend, #1) and I'm eagerly anticipating the finale. 

Prodigy left me on such a cliffhanger, and now I don't know what to do with myself until I read this! That ending was like:

I'm not even sure what I expect tp happen anymore. BUT SO EXCITED. I LOVE DAY.

6. The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse 

First of all, this cover is so awesome!

Second, I've been eyeing this dystopian for ages, never quite convincing myself to buy it and then it was on sale, hardcover, for $4.99!

A test that predicts violence? An island full of these would-be teenage criminals who failed the test? A hatched escape plan? 2 YEAR SURVIVAL RATE ON THE ISLAND? This book sounds action packed and just my kind of brutal. 

7. Hamlet by William Shakespeare (DUH)

I recently had to read Macbeth for my AP English class, and loved it. I've hated Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night, so I'd sort of given up on the Bard. Now, I'm determined to read Hamlet, King Lear and Othello ASAP.I loved the psychological aspect of Macbeth and I think Shakespeare's tragedies are more my style. (Yes, I know Romeo and Juliet is technically a tragedy but WHATEVER) 

1. Favorite childhood book?

When I was younger I was in love with the Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce! (Still am)

2. What are you reading right now?

Currently reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

None! Unfortunately I've fallen out of the habit of using my public library. I mostly buy books.

4. Bad book habit?

 Getting halfway through a book, leaving it for a while, forgetting what's happened so far and having to reread it from the start. I DO THIS TOOO OFTEN. 

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Again, nothing. Haven't been using libraries.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

Nope! I'm a physical book only sort of gal.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I read much better when going one book at a time, however I have the habit of getting into up to five or six at once and then not finishing any of them.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Not really! I've been influenced to buy certain books I wouldn't have otherwise from seeing them around the blog world, but this usually ends up being a good thing!

9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far)? 

It is only the start of April, and so far I haven't read any truly bad books. I did recently start Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry and have had some major problems with it.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe! This book is AMAZING.(Honorable mention to The 5th Wave and 17&Gone)

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Hard to say. Most books are in my comfort zone :P I like fiction, nonfiction, YA, adult, scifi, contemporary, thriller, historical, memoir, poetry, fantasy, fairytale, classics. I'm willing to try anything. 

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

As mentioned above, my fancy is easily tickled. 

13. Can you read on the bus?

I get carsick when reading in vehicles :'( 

14. Favorite place to read?

With a blanket on the couch in my living room!

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I lend books to close friends sometimes, because I like being able to discuss said books. However, if it comes back later than arranged or damaged, there will be hell to pay ;) 

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Nooooooo. I don't like pages being bent all funny.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Not usually. At most, I will put little **'s around an amazing quote. 

18. Not even with text books?

I highlight and write in text books!

19. What is your favourite language to read in?

English. I only speak English and some very rough French. 

20. What makes you love a book?

If it gives me strong emotions. Of any sort.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

I only recommend books that made me want to jump and dance and proclaim their greatness to the heavens. We all know that feeling.

22. Favorite genre?

NOPE NOPE can not answer toooo many favourites. 

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?

I don't read as much nonfiction as I would like to. Books about science and history, in particular. 

24. Favourite biography?

Maus. So very incredible.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Yup! I've read books about insomnia and anxiety. The helpfulness has varied.

26. Favourite cookbook?

I don't read cookbooks! I like takeout. 

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan.

28. Favorite reading snack?

I don't usually eat when reading. If a book is good enough, I forget about my bodily needs such as food and drink.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

Hype doesn't really do this to me. If a book is good (generally hyped up books are), I like it. However, hype has made me read a book I DID NOT like, The Knife of Never Letting Go. I was so excited about that one, then ended up giving this 2/5 stars on goodreads. 

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Professional critics reviews all have the same slew of phrases that they use for every book :P I'm more likely to check out popular goodreads reviews, or ask friends who have read the book. 

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I don't feel bad, as long as I can back of the negativity with good, strong arguments and examples. Unwarranted criticism irks me.

When I give a bad review, that is only my opinion. My take on a book could be completely different from someone else's. 

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

I'd love to be able to read classics in Russian or French. 

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

I read more big books when I was younger, because I didn't fear them back then (why? I don't know) so this is hard to answer. 

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. This leather-bound monster terrifies me. 

35. Favorite Poet?

I love Meggie Royer, or writingsforwinter.tumblr.com

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

 NONE GUYS I BUY ALL MY BOOKS. 

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

 URFGGGHGH. 

38. Favorite fictional character?

 What is that. How can I possibly answer that. 

39. Favourite fictional villain?

 I have a list of ten or twenty. Maybe I will make a separate post about villainy.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

 I love fantasy novels when I'm travelling. Anything magical. 

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

At worst, I've had a whole month where I didn't finish any books, because I was in a slump, or swamped with school work. 

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

 I don't ever officially decide not to finish books. Sometimes I put them down, but always with the intention to finish.

I give up on series frequently though. SEE THIS: series I quit on

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Noise. I need relative quiet to read.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Pride and Prejudice (2005) is an all time favourite. 

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

 OHH the Percy Jackson films. You had so much potential.

46. The most money I've ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

 200$? Thereabouts. 

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

I don't skim for fear of seeing something pivotal to the plot. I will read the first few sentences to get a feel for the writing, though! 

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

 I would only stop if a) I had to go do a thing in the real world, b) I fell asleep/had a headache or c) I took a break because I was crying and didn't want to get the pages wet (TFIOS)

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

 Yes! I organize my bookshelves by genre. I've tried doing it by color but found that while that was pretty, I didn't like splitting up series and authors. 

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

I keep them! I'm a re-reader. 

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

 Hell, there are 111 books on my goodreads "own-to-read" shelf. So I will say YES. 

52. Name a book that made you angry.

Anger was felt while reading the Selection because American couldn't just pick a man. Damn it I was exasperated.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

I didn't think I would like Shatter Me, but I ended up loving it!

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. The cover, the title, all promising. Found the writing unbearable :'( 

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

ANYTHING STEPHANIE PERKINS HAS WRITTEN. 

1. America Singer from The Selection

2. Karou from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone

3. Nymphadora, Harry Potter

4. Bitterblue, Graceling Realm

5. Chaol, Throne of Glass

6. Delphinium, Entwined

7. Widget and Poppet, The Night Circus

8. Kaede and Day, Prodigy

9. Nobody (Bod), The Graveyard Book

10. Deuce, Enclave

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My personal favourite is the Indonesian cover! Comment below with yours!

Favorite book?

My absolute favourite book of the Harry Potter series would have to be Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. 

I love beyond words the memories that delve into Voldemort's past, giving his character new depth and giving his villainy a sort of sense, however twisted. I cannot ever truly love-to-hate a villain in a novel until we see his motivations. Characters who are pure evil just because never ring true. 

I also like that this book is the one where it all comes together. The truth of the Horcruxes is revealed. Light is shed.

AND OF COURSE Ron and Hermiones romance starts kicking into action. *cries tears of joy*  

This book fills me with the biggest sense of adventure. I remember reading this is the fifth grade, filled with anticipation, and sorrow by the end. That is why it remains my favourite. 

Favorite movie?

Each movie has such a different tone. It's hard to pick. Yet, I lean towards the first and last movies.

The first fills me with endless nostalgia. It is so sweet funny, and full of wonder. My first introduction to the magical movie world of Hogwarts! It is absurdly charming.

However, the last movies (Part One and Two) are darker, serious, more complex and intense. They appeal to me now because the movies grew up alongside me. And these last two have such richness of detail and plot, such incredible effects, such suspense and action and fear and finally, triumph. They are my favourite as well. 

Least favorite book?

Nope. Loved them all, for different reasons and in different ways. 

Parts of the books/movies that made you cry ?

1) Snape crying over Lily's dead body. Snape saying "Always" Snape.

2.) Fred dying in the Battle of Hogwarts.

3) Tonks and Lupin, lying dead together in the Great Hall

4.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNHVMIYqiA THIS SONG EVERY TIME

Admission: I did not cry when Dobby or Dumbledore died :/

If you could hook up with any HP character who would it be?

Neville f*****g Longbottom.

Or Oliver Wood. 

What a cutie. 

Favorite character ?

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Snape, Fred & George, Draco, Hagrid....I obviously can't pick.

What would your Patronus be?

A Snow Leopard or Fox! Because a) they are both cute and b) http://www.quotev.com/story/3671161/Patronuses-and-Meanings/1/

If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or the Elder Wand which one would you choose?

Invisibility cloak! The books prove that the Elder Wand and Resurrection stone are both actually kinda awful. Also think of the adventures Harry has with it!

What House would you be in?

Ravenclaw, because I love reading and learning. I value to pursuit of 

knowledge!

 IF you could meet any member of the cast who would it be?  

Emma Watson because I think I am in love with her.

Have you played any of the video games?

NOPE. But I do frequent Pottermore. 

IF you were on the Quiddich team which position would you play?

Probably a chaser! It sounds the most enjoyable to me. 

Were you happy with the ending?

In the books, absolutely! It was perfect. Their marriages, and careers, and the way the Battle ended! (Especially Bellatrix's death) Except that Neville and Luna didn't end up together, which happened in the movie.

In the movie though, I had another problem with the ending. Described by this post. 

How much does Harry Potter mean to you? 

The world. 

— Lemony Snicket

2/5 Stars. This poetry collection was just okay.

1) Aesthetically, this is book beautiful. The cover is soft to the touch, and the artwork on the front (by the author herself) is calm and serene. The red is so lovely, and heartwarming. Its a gorgeous book, but....

2) The poetry is very, very simplistic. The simplicity is not always bad, but at times it reminds me remarkably of poems I scribbled in my journal when I was in the 6th-8th grade. The rhyming can be silly. I didn't find much of profundity, nothing that took my breath away.

3) A small portion of the poems were lovely, and summed up the complicated vastness of love in a few words. Occasionally a poem would be extremely relatable to my current or past relationships, but there was not enough of this for me to give a higher rating.

I understand that sometimes poetry is confusing, but there is a difference between 12-year-old girl-writing-about-a-crush straightforward, and understandable but beautiful and well, poetic!  

4) Maybe I gave this a low rating because I was so excited about it. It has a very high rating on goodreads, the title is excellent, and it is described as "expressing the intricacies of love and loss (....) Lang Leav has an unnerving ability to see inside the hearts and minds of her readers" This led me to expect to find the beating, pulsing heart of emotion laid bare in beautiful metaphors and imagery, not this.

If you're keen to revisit the times of your young crushes, give this a go! There are absolutely some worthwhile poems in here too, if you get past the silly ones, and it does appeal to a small part of me that loves cuteness and idealistic views on romance.