Top Ten Tuesday Forty Nine

Top Ten Bookworm Delights

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  I can't tell you how excited I was for this weeks topic, as its so unique and such a fun one to have a go at!  However, I only managed to come up with seven as I haven't had as much time as usual, even if I would have loved to have done ten.  And so, enjoy!  

1) Reading outside in the summer - 

This may be one of the key reasons why I am currently extremely excited for summer, especially as this year I will have even more time to read.  I just love getting home in the afternoon and going to sit in my back garden and read with the sun still high in the sky.

2) Finding a beautiful quote in a book - 

This is kind of a given for me, as I absolutely adore a good quote.  The only thing better than the quote itself is the moment when you find it hidden in one of your favourites. 

3) Finding amazing books at the library - 

If I had made this list even a month ago or so, then I probably wouldn't have put this on here.  But recently, I can't tell you how much I've been loving going to the library and finding a book I otherwise never would have picked up.

4) Meeting someone who loves one of your favourites as much as you (especially if its an underrated book) - 

I can't tell you how happy I am when I find out that someone else has not only read, but also loved a book I adore.  Not only do I now have someone to share my emotions and feelings about the book with, but I also have someone who I give and share book recommendations with!

5) Books with stunning covers - 

As much as I try not to, I do sometimes judge a book by its cover.  But as much as this may seem like a bad thing, it sometimes isn't actually too bad as it means me picking up and giving a book ago I wouldn't be interested in otherwise.  Plus, books with covers that are like works of art are just too pretty to ignore.

6) When I discover a sequel I didn't know about - 

Okay, this might sound strange, but I can't tell you how often I have read a book and only months or so later discovered it had a sequel - I literally spent the entirety of the Numbers series like this.  And after months of thinking that a story I loved has not only ended, but sometimes ended a little open endedly (obviously if its clear nothing's been resolved I figure out there's a sequel), I can't tell you how exciting it is to discover that you get another book! 

7) When your OTP finally get together - 

I think this a moment everyone can relate to, and everyone loves.  When the two people you've been shipping from the start, after going back and forth for so long finally get together.  It's just great.  

8) When one of your most anticipated releases comes out - 

Now I'm not usually one to be completely up to date with new releases, and it normally takes me a while to pick one up, but even I can agree that the moment you pick up a book you have been waiting for forever is a pretty great moment.  After all that anticipation, its finally in your hands.

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The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

This is one I recently picked up completely spontaneously from the library a few weeks ago.  I hadn't heard a ton about it before I picked it up, but I did know bits and pieces and so was excited to get straight into.  I ended up reading in 4 days, which is pretty impressive for me, and absolutely loving it!

This books follows Nix as she and the rest of the crew on her father's ship attempt to gain a map back to a place from his past.  As you can probably tell, this book includes time-travel, something I don't think I have ever read about in a book before, and certainly never like this.  I loved the whole idea of this ship that navigates through time using maps from that specific point in history, especially as this allowed myths and legends to suddenly become real as well.  Even though a lot of this book does happen in one single place, I still really enjoyed seeing where they would travel to next and what adventures they would come across.

I also loved the centre idea in this as Nix's father attempts to find her mother, who he lost many years ago.  I liked how this created a family dynamic in this book, and, although I sometimes found Slate's manner towards his daughter a bit too distant, I did like how this allowed for there to be tension between them that changed as the story progressed.  I also liked how many different topics were all woven into one story so seamlessly that they were noticeable but never at the forefront.

Throughout the book, we meet many different characters, including both those on the ship and those we meet in Hawaii.  I loved the diversity in the cast of characters, with all of them so unique with different ethnicities.  In general, I have to say I liked pretty much all the characters, especially some of the members of the crew, who I found to be a great relief from the key plot.  I also loved Nix as a character, and found she grew alot in this book, allowing her to know exactly what she wanted by the end of this book.  I also thought she was just a really great, strong female character who thinks for herself, particularly towards the end of this.  But my favourite character of all had to be Kashmir, her best friend on the ship.  He was just such a fun yet dynamic character who could both provide some comic relief as well as some more serious issues.

The only character that really annoyed me was Blake, as I just didn't really see the motives behind alot of his actions.  I didn't really understand why he played a part in a story that could have survived without him, and why he suddenly kept popping up everywhere just to create an unnecessary problem.  On top of this, I just wasn't a fan of his character and found him to be annoying from the offset.

Sticking with characters, I have to say that I really enjoyed the romance in this.  I loved how it wasn't anything near insta-love and how even by the end it was still developing.  I found it to be quite realistic due to how slow-burning it was, my only problem coming from the addition of a love triangle.

And, as always, I can't write a review without discussing the writing style.  Although there wasn't anything amazingly unique or different about the writing in this book, I did still find it extremely engaging once I got into it.  It was very easy to follow and helped the plot to move at a fast but reasonable pace and just overall made the story that much better for me.

I couldn't end this review without talking about the amazing settings that appear in this story.  One of the huge benefits of time travel is getting to see so many different and beautiful places, such as Hawaii and India.  I love book which includes travel, so I loved this aspect, as well as being able to see the history behind these places, an added bonus for me.  I really enjoyed taking a glimpse into the past, and although I don't know how accurate it all was, I did like the idea of it being based off actual events rather than being completely fictitious.

Favourite:

Character(s): Kashmir, Bee

Scene: The party

Quote: Sometimes a person has to let go of something to take hold of something else. 

Relate a:

Song: We Come Running  - Youngblood Hawke
Trees - Twenty One Pilots

Other Book: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Rating:

4/5

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Top Ten Tuesday Forty Eight

I'm Top Ten Books that will make you laugh

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This week's topic was one I was really unsure about, as I'm definitely not one for straight up, laugh out loud books, but more one for perhaps subtler humour in books.  So, I did manage to come up with a list of books that definitely made me at least chuckle, and hopefully they might make you laugh a little too!  And so, enjoy! 

1) Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - 
I think alot of people know by now how much I enjoyed this one, alot of this down to the humour that was intertwined into it.  Although it wasn't always front and centre, it definitely did play a role and really broke down some of the more serious sections of this pretty funny book.  

2) The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan -
 I can imagine this series making quite a few peoples list this week, as it is just full of witty remarks and comments left, right and centre.  Who doesn't laugh at some of things Percy comes out with?  

3) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews - 
Although I wasn't a fan of this book as a whole, I did think that the humour in it worked and did make me laugh, something which definitely saved this book for me

4) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan - 
As is the case with pretty much all of Levithan's books, this one is great for some hilarious and sometimes pretty unique humour (if that's even a thing!) and will have you laughing along with so many of the characters and some of the things that happen throughout this book.  

5) It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini -
 Although this book does deal with quite a serious topic, it also takes quite a humourous, more cynical approach to the whole situation that I couldn't help but love.  

6) The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - 
Yes, so this isn't one known for its humour or anything, but I honestly can't help but laugh at some of the things these characters come out with, even if it is never a focus of any kind. 

7) Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - 
Finally, not only is this a great book on its own, it also has some of the funniest lines and banter that I've read in awhile.  I always loved the conversations between the characters and AIDAN, and honestly couldn't help laughing at so many different things.  

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25 Bookish Facts About Me

Recently, I have seen this tag everywhere, and have now seen so many people do it that I thought I'd give it a little go in an attempt to perhaps tell you a little more about my reading habits and just general bookish facts you might not have known about me.  And so, enjoy!  

1) My absolute favourite book of all time is The Book Thief - its such a beautiful story and if you haven't read it yet, I urge you to go and do so now! 

2) I much prefer paperbacks and so consequently I own very few hardbacks as not only are they more expensive but I also find them harder to read.  I only ever normally by a book in hardback if it is not yet out in paperback or if its 100x prettier than the paperback.

3) Not only do I prefer paperbacks, I also love the really floppy paperbacks that make it almost impossible to break the spine.  I love not having that extra thing to worry about whilst reading!

4)I have yet to read Harry Potter ( I know, I know, I am trying to change this), but I am a huge fan of the movies, and I'm currently on book 3 of the series

5) My most read genre is contemporary but I am slowly reading and loving more and more fantasy books.

6) Despite this, many of my favourite books, including The Book Thief, The Game of Love and Death and The Midnight Palace are all historical fiction novels. 

7) My most read author and likely my favourite author is Amanda Hocking.  So far, I have read 3 of her series and am currently halfway through the Kanin trilogy, which as soon as I finish will make it 4.

8) I love short story compilations, although I only currently own two, My True Love Gave to Me and How They Met by David Levithan.

9) I have only read one classic outside of school (Wuthering Heights) but I did make it half way through Jane Eyre, and am planning to read Pride and Prejudice very soon! 

10) My favourite book to movie adaptation is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  

11) I have a total of five bookshelves scattered across my room, but only three of them are currently completely full. 

12) I used to always reread my favourites when I was younger but now I rarely do.  Its definitely something I hope to start doing again soon. 

13) I am Ravenclaw and proud!

14) I actually tend to really enjoy book to movie adaptations everyone else hates, even if I have read the book it is meant to be based on and is only loosely based off the books.  For example, I really like the Percy Jackson films even if they are completely unfaithful of the book, and I adore The Host movie as well. 

20) I don't use actual bookmarks, as I find they fall out too easily, and so instead I simply use a paperclip so that I can still keep my place without folding over the corner.

15) I currently don't have some of my favourite series as they all lent out such as The Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies, out of which I only currently have Mockingjay.  

16) I do own an e reader, but I only have one book and one series currently on it, despite owning it a number of years.

17)  It tends to take me around a week to read a book, but so far this year I have been reading at a slightly slower pace than this, and so am slightly behind on my reading challenge - hopefully this can change soon!

18) I am currently halfway through about 10 series at this point in time.

19) I actually really like the shadowhunters TV show even if it isn't too faithful to the book. 

21) Despite using a paperclip to mark my place, I do still dog-ear books, just not to mark where I am currently up to in the book.  Instead, if I find a quote I like then I will dog-ear the bottom of the page, whereas if I find a really good scene or section, then I will fold over the corner at the top of the page on which it starts.

22) I really like old, battered books - the scruffier, the better loved!  

23)  I tend to read alot more in the summer when I have more time to read, with the winter never being too productive with my reading. 

24) I have never tried an audiobook, as I'm unsure about whether or not I will be able to remember everything that happens when I am simply listening it, but I do hope to try one very soon to see if this is true.

25) I currently have 27 unread books on my bookshelf 

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Top Ten Tuesday forty seven

Top Ten Books every wallflower should read

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was one I wasn't too sure about at first, as I was lost as to what sort of person I should focus.  However, I soon came to the conclusion to stick to what I know 
and so I choose to recommend some books for every wallflower.  And so, enjoy!  

1) Since You've been Gone by Morgan Matson -
This is the perfect read for any wallflower in my eyes, as it follows Emily as she has to find herself without her confident best friend.  It is such a good story anyway, but is absolutely ideal for anyone struggling to come out of their shell.

2) To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - 
If you're after a romance including a wallflower, then this one is for you.   This book is such a cute little read and is great as it as has strong family aspects as well, and so I would definitely recommend if you want a romantic contemporary about someone who isn't the most confident of people.

3) Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan - 
Although this is a book set around christmas, I wouldn't let that stop you from picking up and reading this cute little story about two characters, one of whom is as shy as anything.  Its great to watch them slowly get to know each other and is great if you just want a short little read. 

4) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - 
This one is great for anyone who isn't a huge fan of contemporary, but still wants a main character who nots the most confident with people, something I would describe Alina as.  Although she is very strong, she isn't the most talkative or confident around people, and so this is a good one if you want a fast paced story with this talking more of a backseat.  

5) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - 
If you're not the biggest fan of straight up contemporary, but you still want a book and characters who a little bit on the quieter side, then definitely give this ago.  Not only is it a beautiful book already, but some of the characters in this could be said to be on the shyer side of things, and so is great if you want a little something different from your usual finding-yourself story.

6) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - 
Does this one really mean much explaining?  I know alot of people have likely already read this, but if for some reason you haven't then I would strongly suggest doing so - its an amazing book and story with characters you'll love.

7) We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach -  
For me, this is the perfect book for pretty much anyone as it follows four entirely different characters who all come together in what's predicted to be their last few month to live, but it's especially great as a few of them are quite shy in the beginning.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

After recently watching (and loving) the Shadowhunters TV show, I thought that it was about time I continued on with the books as it had been a good while since I read City of Fallen Angels last year.  So, I picked up this, the fifth installment in the Mortal Instruments series, pretty much knowing I would at least enjoy it - and I wasn't wrong!  I ended up really loving this one, possibly not as much as City of Fallen Angels, but nonetheless it was still a great continuation of the series and I'm really glad I finally read it, leaving me with just one book left before I finish the series!

Seeing as this is the fifth book in the series, I don't want to give too much away in terms of plot for anyone who has yet to read it, but what I will say is that this one wasn't as fast paced as some of the others have been.  The main storyline did take a while to get going, but overall I didn't have a huge problem with this as I felt like it needed to be a little bit slower in order to for everything to come together.  Having said that, a little bit more action never goes amiss!

Due to this, we did get to see a little more of some of the characters, and as someone who adores so many of the ones in this series, I wasn't complaining.  I really enjoyed seeing more of Simon and Izzy, and I'm really glad we got to see more of her softer side in this installment, as well as seeing Maia and Jordan pop up again from time to time.  I also found that Jace really grew on me as a character in this one, when before I was never too sure how I felt about him.  And as always, I was glad to see Alec and Magnus involved in the action, but I don't think that will ever change.

Back to the plot, I really enjoyed the direction the series took in this one.  I liked how the sides and groups of people working together changed and how their seemed to be two main storylines instead of one at certain points, something which actually made things quite interesting to see different sides both working towards the same goal.  Weirdly, I also didn't mind the little subplots we got, and I actually really liked the break they gave from the central plot.

One aspect which I found was a lot more prominent in this book was the romance.  It seemed like alot more happened between the couples in this books, with some moving more slowly than others, and others with more tension between them.  I actually liked pretty much all of the romance in this one, which is surprising because before this book I wasn't as big a fan of a certain couple as I am now.  However, I am still recovering from something that happened at the end of this book, but that's all I will say.  Just prepare yourself.

Finally, I adored the ending of this book.  I felt like it gave us a snippet of what's to come without revealing all and I love how it set things up for the final book.  I also really liked certain plot twists that came just a few pages from the end, with one of them taking me completely by surprise whilst still working so well.

Overall, I really did enjoy this one.  Despite not being action packed or amazingly fast paced, I still found myself really enjoying this, and I can't tell you how excited I am to read City of Heavenly Fire!

 Favourite:

Characters:  Simon, Izzy, Magnus ( I can't choose!)

Scene:  The ending (don't want to spoil anything)

Quote: Too much of anything could destroy you, Simon thought.  Too much darkness could kill, but too much light could blind.

Relate a:

Song: Silhouettes - Of Monsters and Men 

Other Book:  The Kanin trilogy by Amanda Hocking 

Top Ten Tuesday Forty Six

Top Ten Bookish people you should follow

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was one, that once again, I was super excited for as it was quite different to normal, in that instead of talking about the books we love, we can talk about the people who talk about books that we love.  And so, here are some of my favourite bookish people from across the internet - enjoy!  

(Sorry to interrupt you on my own blog post, but just thought I'd mention that I just started my own bookstagram - yay! - so if you fancy giving it a little look then my username is @areadersfiction.  Thanks! )

Instagram -

@Cityofchapters - Honestly, I'm pretty sure I fell in love her feed the moment I set eyes on it.  It's just so beautifully minimalistic and so simple but the white theme just works to well and I just absolutely adore it.   

@Padfoot_andprongs - Another account here with a feed I envy and adore so much.  I love the simple white background that has become a theme for her account but also the appearance of little trinkets and objects that just make the photos that little bit prettier.  

@Turning.page - Finally, I had to mention this account, another which I clearly adore!  I can't exactly pinpoint why I love her feed as much as I do but I think I just like how simple but gorgeous her photos look - they're just so pretty!  

Youtube -

Readbyzoe - I'm pretty sure she was one of the first booktubers I subscribed too, and still now I get excited when she uploads a new video.  She just seems like such a nice person and I always enjoy watching one of her videos.  

Riley Marie - I can't remember exactly how long I've been subscribed to Riley now, all I know is that I'm so glad I am!  Everytime video of hers I watch I enjoy, and I also love how many different books I have been introduced to thanks to her.  

The book vagrant -  A much more recent subscription here, but a good one nonetheless.  Again, she just seems like such a nice and normal person who I can easily relate to and who I always love to watch talk about books and everything to do with them.  

Blogs -

Emma the Booklover - If I'm ever in the mood to read a blog post or too, then Emma is one of the first people I turn to.  I know that I will want to read pretty much anything she posts as they are always just the right length and always engaging and interesting.  Her pictures also always give me just a hint of bookstagram envy!  

In the Leaves - I have some serious blog envy for this blog's layout - just look at how pretty it is!  Again, I always love it when a new post from her pops up on my screen and I can never hold off from reading it as soon as possible.  

Bedtime Bookworm - Finally, I can't tell you how long I have been reading and admiring this blog in all its beauty.  From the gorgeously simple theme and layout to the amazing posts, I never complain about sitting down to read one of her posts.


Who are some of your favourite bookish people on social media?  

March Wrap up

Another wrap up here, but this time I choose to just include one month instead of two as hopefully that will motivate me to get more reading done in order for this list to be a little longer for April!  Overall, March wasn't the best reading month for me, but in it I did read one of my favourites of the year so far, so I'm okay with not loving the other two!  And so, here are all the books I managed to read in March - enjoy!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff -

To start the month, I chose to pick up Illuminae, as I had been anticipating reading this one ever since getting it.  I had heard such positive things about it that I was both excited and scared, as I really wanted to love it but was scared that I wouldn't because of all the hype.  However, it certainly didn't disappoint as I ended up giving it 5 out of 5 stars, making it my favourite and highest-rated book of the month.  I loved the format and the characters, and I can't tell you how excited I am to get my hands on the sequel, Gemina, as soon as it comes out!

Shift by Em Bailey -

After a great start to my month of reading, I then decided to give this one a go next.  I have to admit, I was a little sceptical before reading this as I had heard nothing about it and so all I had to go on was the synopsis, something that doesn't happen too often now.  Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this book, and so ended up giving it a measly 2.5 out of 5 stars, which may even have been a little generous looking back.  I just found the plot to be very repetitive and predictable and the characters to be extremely annoying and unrealistic.  It's safe to say this definitely wasn't a book for me.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -

Next, I picked up this adult thriller as not only do I want to read more adult fiction, but I also had heard quite mixed things from friends and family, with some loving it and some really not.  I also found out that it was being adapted into a movie later on in the year, and so I was determined to read it before then.  However, I once again found myself disappointed by this one, and so it only got a 3 stars from me.  Although I could see why some people may love this one, I personally found it quite predictable and easy to guess (but yes, I am proud I managed to guess who it was) and I honestly couldn't sympathise or connect with many of the characters at all.  Nonetheless, I am still curious as to how the movie pans out as I do think this may work better in film than it does as a book.

Finally, I am not going to include it in this wrap up as I am still reading it, but I am currently halfway through City of Lost Souls, the fifth and penultimate book in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.  All I will say for now, is so far so good - more when I finish it!

What books did you read in March?  Have you read any of these - what did you think?  What books are you planning to read in April?