Top Ten Tuesday Twenty Three

Top Ten Non-Scary books for Halloween

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was another I was sooo excited for, as I knew from the offset what topic I was going to choose for this Halloween-themed freebie.  This week I also managed to complete a full list of ten books - something I almost never manage to do.  So here is my list of some of my favourite non-scary books for Halloween - enjoy!

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1) The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - A series including vampires, werewolves and demons? If you don't want scary, then this is the perfect book to still get you in the spirit. 

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2) Everyday by David Levithan - This is a likely not the first book many people, including me, would usually pick for a Halloween read, but I think that it's actually a good one paranormal to read as it's in no way scary or creepy but still has a supernatural element. 

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3) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - This book centres entirely around faeries, as well as including some other supernatural creatures, and is so quick and easy to get through.  So if you want a fantastical read for Halloween, then I'd definitely give this a go. 

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4) The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - This is one where if you want a good Halloween read without reading straight-up horror, then I'd definitely pick this up as it's an amazing story but not the scariest of books (in my opinion).
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5) My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking - This whole series revolves around a family of vampires, making it a perfect Halloween read. 

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6) The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - A book about a earth that has been invaded by creepy aliens who look human - so basically it's a perfect read if you don't want another book about werewolves, vampires or any other classic Halloweenesque creatures. 

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7) Revived by Cat Patrick - Despite the premise of this one not including anything supernatural or paranormal, the plot in this does get kinda creepy and so can definitely get you in the mood for this time of year without scaring you silly. 

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8) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - Another one similar to that of Revived and even Everyday as it isn't that Halloweeny but a good one if you want something mysterious or even creepy for this time of year. 

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9) Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling - I'm sure almost everyone has either read the books or watched the films by now, so even if you have it's still so good for now as it's magical and just an amazing read! 

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10) The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Another alien one if you want a break from the common supernatural/paranormal characters that's not at all scary but could still get you in that Halloween mood. 

A Reader Recommends - October

If you read my A Reader's Playlist blog post from a couple of weeks ago, then you will know that I have decided to try and change up my blog a little, and add a few more new and hopefully exciting ideas.  This is another one which I have been toying over for a while now, but have for some reason been slightly scared to put up.  But I have finally plucked up the courage to share it with you, in the hope that it goes down okay at least.  Once again, please feel free to comment with your thoughts and without further ado, here is my first A Reader Recommends post: 

Books:

Fantasy:

Switched by Amanda Hocking - A quick but addicting read with magic, forbidden love and an amazing world.

Historical:

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - When a group of teenagerss get caught up in an mystery from two of their pasts, they find that dark secrets are hiding in the Calcutta night.

Paranormal:
Forgotten by Cat Patrick - A book whose main character's memories are of the future, the past forgotten as soon as she goes to sleep.  Another quick yet gripping read with a few plot twists along the way.

Contemporary:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - An amazing mysterious with plot twists around every corner.

Horror:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendrae Blake - A story about a ghost hunter who finds more than he's expecting when his latest target raises more than a few questions.

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Music:

She Used to be Mine - Sara Bareilles

Save Rock and Roll - Fall Out Boy
Hold Me Down - Halsey

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Movies/ TV shows:

The Woman In Black - A horror film perfect for the run up to halloween

The Vampire Diaries - A TV series focused around Vampires if you don't want to scare yourself silly.
Harry Potter - It's magical, amazing and honestly you never need an excuse to watch these films.

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Top Ten Tuesday Twenty Two

Top ten wishes I'd ask the book genie to grant me 

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/ meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  I have been really looking forward to this weeks topic for a while now as it seemed like a such a fun and unique list, but found that I had run out of time to think of a ton of answers to this.  However, I have managed to compile a list of some of the wishes I would ask the book genie, and so here it is:  

I wish that... 

1) I could meet some of my favourite characters (e.g. Lisel, Peeta, Cricket etc.) - I know this is kind of cheating as instead of wishing to meet a specific character I am wishing to meet more than one of my favourites, but I honestly couldn't decide who I would actually love to meet or even who topped the list of my favourite characters, and so decided that this was the only solution.  

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2) The Trylle world was real - I absolutely adore this series to pieces and so would love to be able to experience the world in which it all happened. 

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3) I had more time to read - Recently, I have been stuck in a real reading slump, one of the reasons for this being the lack of spare time I suddenly seem to have.  There always seems to be something else I should be doing or need to do, and so I would love to have more time on my hands to allow me to read without feeling guilty that I should be doing something else.
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4) Noughts and Crosses would be turned into a movie - I have mentioned this before in a old TTT post, but I couldn't help but also put it on this list.  Despite reading the books a fair while ago now, this is still a series that I honestly believe would make an amazing set of films, and so, if I could wish for some things from the bookish genie, this would definitely be one of them.   

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5) I had the ability to experience the world of any book I wanted to - There are so many different worlds and time periods in books which I would just love to experience, like the 1930's period in The Game of Love and Death or even Panem in The Hunger Games.  Even if only for a moment, I'd just love to live in the reality that the characters live in, no matter how bad their society may be.

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6) Amanda Hocking would write the final My Blood Approves book - I read the first four books of this series about a year or so ago now, maybe even longer, and I am still waiting for the final conclusion to be written.  I just need to know how it all ends! 
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7) I could reread certain books again for the first time - There are so many books out there that I adored when I read them, and so I would love to be able to relive that experience of first reading an amazing book.  I would also like to reread certain books like We Were Liars again, or any book with a major plot twist so that I can experience the shock all over again.  

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8) I had an unlimited supply of books - Because, honestly, why not!
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Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Review: 

After reading My Sister lives on the Mantlepiece earlier on in the year, I found that I was actually quite reluctant to pick this one up.  I liked but didn't love her first novel, and so was so scared of feeling the same way about this one, especially because this was the one I was more excited about.  However, it certainly did not disappoint.  It provided a complete contrast to My Sister whilst still including similarities, and I honestly really enjoyed it.  

This book tells the story of a girl we call Zoe (her real name is only revealed at the very end of the book) as she writes letters to a criminal on death row.  For someone who adores different writing styles, the letter format of this one instantly boosted my excitement levels before reading and my enjoyment whilst reading.  It made the book alot more informal and chattier, something which had both its advantages and its disadvantages.  It did help to make the book alot easier to read and more relatable at times, but it also made the main character seem slightly immature as well at points as it seemed as though the language was dumbed down instead of just made slightly less formal.  However, I did like the format as it made the book that little bit more interesting.  

But, apart from finding Zoe slightly immature at times, I did generally like all the characters.  I really liked all of the members of her family as well as her friend Lauren, although, if I'm being picky, I would have liked to have seen more made of their friendship as it didn't really stand out hugely to me.   I also liked the character of Max, not because I liked him as a person particularly, but because of how I slowly began to see why he was like that and how bad I felt for him towards the end.   However, no matter how bad I felt for Max, I do have to admit that my favourite of them all was Aaron, who I can't imagine someone not loving.  He was just so honest and just a really good character overall.  

One part of the plot which I did like seeing was the family element.  I really enjoyed reading about a very normal family whose problems aren't unbelievable but also aren't non-existent.  Due to this, I also liked the sub-plots which often revolved around her family as it just made a story which on the surface seems so mad seem so much more real and relatable.  

Finally, a book is nothing if it doesn't have a good storyline - and this one certainly did.  The mystery works so well in this that you can't help but want to read on just to find out what actually happened, all the twists and turns reminding the reader why they need to.  As for the ending: its believable without being obvious, and is certainly a satisfying conclusion.  The last scene is so heartbreaking yet still the only way it could have ended.  So overall, I would say that this book is definitely worth a read, no matter if you enjoyed Pitcher's first novel or not, or even if you have yet to read anything by her.  

Favourite:

Character(s): Aaron, Soph

Scene(s): Aaron and Zoe outside the library

Quote(s): In real life things don't build up nicely to a climax, in actual facts moments occur out of the blue and there's no warning. 

Relate a:

Song(s): She Used to be Mine - Sara Bareilles

Treacherous - Taylor Swift 

Other Book(s): We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 

Rating:

4/5    

Top Ten Tuesday Twenty One

Top Ten Author duos I'd love to see

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was one I actually really enjoyed creating a list too, although I think that I may have just got a little too excited over these books which are not actually happening... Anyway here is my list for the top ten author duos I'd love to see happen: 

1) Amanda Hocking and Julie Kagawa - I can just imagine the amazing fantasy series these two could write together filled with magic and mythical creatures and forbidden love.  

2) Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Markus Zusak - I would literally die if these two joined forces on a book; they are two of my favourite authors, and both write so beautifully and such amazing stories that I can just imagine the historical excellence that they would create.  

3) Cat Patrick and Annabel Pitcher - Just imagine the mystery these two could create, with plot twists and romance and just great subplots that these two do fantastically.  

4) Jennifer E. Smith and Morgan Matson - Can you just picture the amazing romantic story these two could write together?  How splendidly cute it would be?   

5) Gayle Forman and John Green - I have a feeling that if these two decide to team up on a book, it would most likely have me sobbing for days.  I would love to see what emotional tearjerker these two could create.
  

6) Rick Yancey and Michael Grant - These two are a pair I can imagine would create an absolutely amazing sci-fiesque series with aliens, split POV and a very complicated storyline.  

7) Stephen Chbosky and David Levithan - This is likely the one I want to happen the most.  The funny yet very deep story these two could come up with and write would be one I couldn't wait to pick up.