T5W

Top 5 Wednesday: September 27, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Books You’ve Read Because of Booktube/Blogging/etc.

Discuss the books you’ve picked up because you’ve heard of them in the online book community or platform you use.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

  1. The Raven Cycle // Maggie Stiefvater
    Well I had to put this series first because it’s the one I’m the most grateful to booklr for convincing me to read. I had seen The Raven Boys (book 1) on a shelf before, but had specifically not even picked it up because of the title. Then even when I did pick it up and read the blurb, I remember thinking it would be just a dumb romance about private school boys and setting it back down! (I’m ashamed to even admit that…) So it wasn’t until several posts from booklr peeps and direct cajoling from a reader friend that I finally decided to give it a chance.
  2. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    This book comes second because I think it’s the second most important in that it taught me not to blindly trust booklr hype! I reviewed it, if you want to know more, but long story short: booklr straight lied to me about this book; it was trash.
  3. The Lunar Chronicles // Marissa Meyer
    I was pretty resistant to reading this one, but now that I have I can’t remember what my reasoning was… I should have known I would enjoy a sci-fi fairytale retelling series!
  4. Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes, book 1) by Sara Raasch
    Anyone on booklr knows how all over this series the community was for a while there. I bought into the hype of course, because I’m weak, and found this to be a pretty enjoyable book. I was reading it when I went to sign my pre-trial diversion paperwork and my lawyer and I talked about it at length. (Apparently it’s one she recommends all the time.) Unfortunately I couldn’t get into the sequel despite repeated tries and wound up abandoning the series.
  5. Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children // Ransom Riggs
    This is another series I am so grateful to the booklr community for recommending! There’s just so much to love about this series. The first time around, back in 2014, I really liked the story, but I don’t think I appreciated it as much as I did when I went back and reread it at the beginning of this year.

I’d love to know about some books the online book community you are a part of convinced you to read! Comment or make your own post and leave me a link.

Top 5 Wednesday: August 30, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Favorite Bromances

I think we have done this topic before in the distant past, but who doesn’t love a good bromance? Bromance = platonic relationship between two characters who identify as male.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group.

  1. Oriel & Griff // The Wings of a Falcon by Cynthia Voigt (Tales of the Kingdom, book 3; also published as The Tale of Oriel)
  2. Gregor & Ripred // The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
  3. Samuel “Bullet” Tillerman & Tamer Shipp // The Runner by Cynthia Voigt (The Tillerman Cycle, book 4)
  4. Harry Potter & Ron Weasley // Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  5. Stanley Yelnats & Hector Zeroni // Holes by Louis Sachar

What are some of your favorite bromances? Comment or make your own post and leave me a link.

Top 5 Wednesday: August 9, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

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?
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series // Sarah J. Maas
    This series isn’t complete yet, but of the books that are out, it’s better in the middle.
  2. Uglies Series // Scott Westerfeld
  3. The Tillerman Cycle // Cynthia Voigt

Unfortunately, I was only able to think of 3 series that fit this prompt for me. I tend to think the entire series is equally good or that the beginning is best.

I’d love to know what series you guys think were best in the middle! Comment or make your own post and leave a link here.

Top 5 Wednesday: March 8, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

Talk about your favorite science fiction and fantasy books of all time!
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

  1. A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, book 2) by Sarah J. Maas
  2. Specials (Uglies, book 3) by Scott Westerfeld
  3. The Tale of Elske (Tales of the Kingdom, book 4) by Cynthia Voigt
  4. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
  5. Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor

Comment with your own favorite fantasy & science fiction novels (or a link to your own post) so I can check them out too! My TBR totally doesn’t mind growing!

Top 5 Wednesday: February 15, 2017

Lee2 Comments

Favorite Non-Written Novels

This was a hard topic to name, but this is about all books that are not ‘written’ novels! So graphic novels, comics, manga, audiobooks, etc. Shed some light on books in other forms.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

I can’t actually participate in this one because I’ve actually only ever read one non-written novel in my life (it was one of the Death Note mangas).

Normally I’d just skip a day if I couldn’t contribute anything, but in this case I thought it might be fun to see if I could get some recs off y’all and try to branch out my tastes a bit!

If you have a favorite audio book, graphic novel, manga, etc. please comment with the titles or a link to your T5W post or just send me a message. Thanks in advance!

Top 5 Wednesday: February 8, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Book Trends You’re Tired Of

What are some things you are tired of seeing that are trends in publishing? Maybe something that pops up on a lot of covers these days, or the popularity of certain tropes in a particular genre? Let it out!
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

  1. LOVE TRIANGLES THAT DO NOTHING TO SERVE THE PLOT AND JUST CREATE STUPID FILLER DRAMA CAN DIE IN A FUCKING FIRE
  2. I’ve seen literally 2 popular books with female lead characters that weren’t model thin. That’s super annoying honestly because I only know 1 naturally skinny girl in real life. Like do authors not realize most girls are not 120lbs?
  3. I hate when covers have random models on the cover and none of the imagery relates to the story and the model doesn’t even look like the main character. Why do people keep doing this? Just draw a pretty cover using themes from the novel, everyone likes those  better anyway!
  4. Speaking of tropes that can die, how about “love cures mental illness” because that is just stupid.
  5. Does…..does everybody have to be white?????

What book trends are you sick of?

Top 5 Wednesday: February 1, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Current Favorites that Aren’t Books

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from books and talk about some other things you’ve been obsessed with. These all don’t have to be in the same category. Mix it up! What TV shows have you been enjoying, makeup you’ve been wearing, food you’ve been eating, etc.??
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

  1. I DON’T
  2. THINK I
  3. HAVE ANY
  4. OTHER INTERESTS
  5. !?!?!????!?!!!!!???

What are your current non-book faves?

Top 5 Wednesday: January 25, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

Favorite Underrated Books

Give some love to those books that aren’t as widely talked about. Those hidden gems. Those books that maybe used to be popular but people have forgotten about and they still deserve some love.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

I wound up with a list of book series instead of individual books, but whatever!

  1. The Books of Bayern // Shannon Hale
  2. The Tillerman Cycle // Cynthia Voigt
  3. The Underland Chronicles // Suzanne Collins
  4. Princess Academy Series // Shannon Hale
  5. The Chanters of Tremaris Series // Kate Constable

What underrated books do you love? Comment or make your own Top 5 Wednesday post!

Top 5 Wednesday: January 11, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

2017 Debuts You Are Excited For

There is already a ton of hype for well established authors, but here is an opportunity to discuss some debut (new) authors and showcase their books. There are plenty of debut author challenges and lists you can find if you are having trouble with this one 🙂
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

  1. McKelle George // Speak Easy, Speak Love (Release Date: September 19, 2017)This is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing (which I love) set in Long Island, NY during the Prohibition Era. I am so incredibly excited about this book I can’t even articulately tell you!
  2. Stephanie Garber // Caraval (Release Date: January 31, 2017)
    Two sisters leave home only to become embroiled in a dangerous game. Everyone on Goodreads is saying it’s a lot like Night Circus, but I haven’t read that so I can’t say.
  3. Angie Thomas // The Hate U Give (Release Date: February 28, 2017)
    A young black girl, Starr, witnesses the shooting of her unarmed friend by a police officer and must face the struggle of testifying against the officer.
    I have made a recommendation post for this book here.
  4. Karen M. McManus // One of Us Is Lying (Release Date: May 30, 2017)
    Five students enter (detention), only four leave (alive). The author herself once described this as “The Breakfast Club with a criminal spin”.
  5. Kirk von der Heydt // Rabbit Slayer (Release Date: November 8, 2017)
    This is a re-imagining of the Alice in Wonderland universe (and the first of a series), in which an Alice protects our world from the White Rabbits.

I know all of these are YA, so they may not appeal to everyone, but that’s what I read the most of right now. I will hopefully get to read them close to their release dates (I have already put purchase suggestions in at my local library), and if possible I will review them.

What debut authors are you looking forward to this year?

Top 5 Wednesday: January 4, 2017

LeeLeave a comment

2017 Goals

These do not need to be reading goals specifically, they can be any goals you want to talk about. Reading goals, blog/channel/instagram goals, personal goals…anything!
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, just head over to their Goodreads Group and join the fun!

  1. Read 75 50 books in 2017 (Goal changed as of June, because I’m having major depression reading slumps this year…)
  2. Start writing book reviews
  3. Get my home library set up again
  4. Force myself to reread ACOTAR (instead of just skipping it and going to ACOMAF) so I can make a post listing every warning sign of Tamlin being a bad guy because a lot of people haven’t noticed them and have asked me to point them out
  5. Make more original posts Make more posts for each book I read