Top Ten Tuesday: Fantasy Reads Perfect for Winter

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Cozy/Wintry Reads.” I always associate contemporary books with spring and summer and mysteries/horror with fall. For winter, the kind of books I think are perfect are thick fantasy books. I imagine curling up by the fire on a cold night and falling deeply into the fantasy world I’m reading. Here are ten (mostly) thick fantasy reads for anyone who also likes to reach for these kind of reads during the winter months. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

2. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

3. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

4. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

5. Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers

6. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

7. The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

8. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

9. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

10. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Which kind of books do you associate with the winter? Which fantasy reads would you recommend this upcoming season? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Advertisements

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Sibling Relationships

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Platonic Relationships in Books.” I am currently on hiatus, but saw that this topic was coming up when I was working on posts before my hiatus and decided to participate anyways. I won’t be responding to comments until this upcoming Sunday, but feel free to drop a link to your post in the comments and I will visit you then. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. Mortiz sisters from Brooklyn Brujas series by Zoraida Córdova – Sibling relationships can be complicated as it is, but throw in magic and a need to want your sibs to be happy even when this means making bad decisions and you got a recipe for chaos.

2. Song sisters from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han – Lara Jean will forever remain one of my favorite literary characters, but one of the highlights of the series that I don’t think gets talked about enough is the Song sisters’ relationship. Lara Jean and Margo are more like friends because of their age, but their relationship with Kitty is so important because unlike her, they have such clear memories of their mom and they become Kitty’s strongest link to her.

3. Blanca and Roja from Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore  – This is one of my favorite relationships to read about, where siblings are so different from one another and yet have one of the strongest bonds.

4. Jane and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Another sister relationship where the two are quite opposite, but always willing to take steps to ensure the other’s happiness.

5. Kell and Rhy from Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab – These two are brothers in all but blood. I’m starting to think polar opposite personalities in sibling relationships are my thing. One of my favorite things about this series is how both of these characters were the biggest cheerleaders for one another.

6. Nomeolvides cousins from Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore – I’m including the youngest generation of Nomeolvides women on this list because they were raised more like sisters. They all suffered the same curse, fell for the same girl, but never let that deter them from loving each other.

7. Tom and Benny from Rot& Ruin by Jonathan Maberry – This is also one of my favorite sibling relationships to read about, where one character learns to appreciate the other especially in a coming-of-age story. Still not over what ultimately happened though.

8. Sorcha and her brothers from Daughter of the forest by Juliet Marillier – This one still hurts. Sorcha does absolutely everything she can to free her brothers from a curse and it almost destroys her.

9. Lada and Radu from And I Darken by Kiersten White – I told you I have a thing for siblings who are opposite. Lada is fierce and cold and finds it hard to tolerate her brother’s softness. I’ve only read the first book in this series, so I don’t know how their story ends, but is a reconciliation too much to hope for?

10. The Weasleys kids from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – The Weasleys will forever be one of my favorite literary families and one of the reasons is it always felt like the Weasley kids were free to be whoever they chose to be, and despite their differences, they remained close.

Are you a fan of any of these siblings relationships? Which fictional sibling relationship is your favorite? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Non-Bookish Items I Collect

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Bookish Items/Merchandise I’d Like to Own.” I am one of those rare bookworms that don’t own a lot of bookish items (seriously, all I can think of is my Hogwarts sweater and pajama pants) and who is not really interested in buying any. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t mind owning a Pride & Prejudice scarf or having one of those cute bags made from a book. But I can’t picture myself spending money on these things. I’d just rather spend money on books than bookish items. So to do something a little different, I’m listing non-bookish items I tend to collect. Sometimes by accident and sometimes on purpose.

1. Pretty Notebooks and Journals – If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably already know this, but I love notebooks. I am really bad at writing in them, but really good at collecting them. This I am embarrassed to admit is only a fraction of the notebooks I own. I haven’t written in any of these, but they are so pretty.

2. Pens – From highlighters to sharpies to gel pens, I love buying new sets of pens. Based on this picture, I might love it a little too much. I justify my buys by remembering I have a blogging planner that deserves to be pretty and colorful.

3. Washi Tape – I also use my blogging planner as an excuse to buy all the washi tape. But I only buy washi tape when it is on sale because they can be down-right expensive. I love washi tape so much. Not only does it make my planner look more lively, I use it to organize which posts go up when during the month and using tape makes it easier to move posts around if need be. Also, they are so pretty.

4. Cardstock – Michaels loves me because I am always in there looking at their collection of cardstock. I have a hard time resisting these packets of cardstock when they go on sale. I use these when I make bookmarks and recently when I take photos of my books.

5. Decorative Boxes – I have such a weakness for pretty decorative boxes. I have so many in my closet, but I put them to good use. It helps me keep all those notebooks, pens, and washi tape I can’t stop buying organized. I confess that I buy more boxes than I need. I’m particularly prone to buying floral pattern ones and then never using them. But the pretty…

Which non-bookish items do you collect? Do you also collect the things I’ve listed? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Top Ten Tuesday: TBR Books I’m Saying Goodbye To

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Backlist Books I Want to Read.” Since last week I ended up sharing a list of creepy backlist books on my TBR, this week I’m going to be sharing a list of books I’m removing from my TBR. Sometime last year I went through my Goodreads to-read shelf and deleted about 100 books. Since then I’ve added more than 100 books and it’s time to go through my list again. Well, I don’t have the time to do so presently, but for the sake of this week’s topic, I took a quick peek and deleted the following books. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but sometimes you need to be realistic and accept that you’ve lost interest in these books or that you just don’t have the time to prioritize books you only have a passing interest in. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore – I’ve had this one on several to-be-read lists, but I think it’s time for me to finally let this one go. I really enjoyed the author’s Goodnight Family duology, but can’t see myself taking them time to read this one.

2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – It’s time for me to accept that I’m never going to read this one. I’ve heard so many people praise it, but it’s so long and I just can’t commit to the time it would take to get through it. 

3. Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf – I have not heard a single person talk about this book and I can’t even recall how it ended up on my TBR. Since I’m in no way attached to it, I need to let it go. 

4. Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen – I did really enjoy the book before this sequel, but I also donated it to my library and remember practically nothing, so I’m deleting this one since I won’t be able to read it without a reread of the first. 

5. A Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis – I think Not a Drop to Drink is a really underrated novel, but I really only have a passing interest in checking out this sequel.

6. Sunset Rising by S.M. McEachern – I couldn’t tell you what this book was about even if my life depended on it, so time to delete it.

7. The Legend of Me by Rebekah L. Purdy – All I really remember of this one is that I added it to my TBR a long time ago and then the publishing date was pushed back. I’ve since lost interest in it.

8. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen – I’ve seen tons of bloggers talk about this one and so I added it to my TBR, but it’s just been so long since I thought about it, I don’t think I’m ever going to pick it up.

9. The Marvels by Brian Selznick – I really enjoyed Wonderstruck, but don’t really feel the same kind of enthusiasm for this one.

10. Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner – I still have the last book in their other series unread on my shelf, so I need to get to that before even thinking about this one. But really, I don’t have too much interest in reading this new series anyway.

Have you read any of these? What’s the last book you removed from your TBR? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween-esque Backlist Books On My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Halloween/Creepy Freebie.” Yay for the Halloween themed freebie topic this week! If it wasn’t obvious from the Halloween makeover my blog has undergone this month, I’m a big fan of the holiday. Although I love picking up creepy books every October, I don’t get a chance to read as many as I’d like. So for this freebie topic I am listing ten Halloween-esque books still on my TBR. These have been on said TBR for at least two years. One day I will read all of these (please don’t laugh). Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – I’ve owned this one for several years and am a little ashamed I haven’t read it. With the adaptation coming out, I feel like it’s more imperative than ever that I read this one. 

2. Daughter Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics – I’ve only read one book by this author and what a shame as she consistently produces the creepiest sounding books.

3. In the Shadow of the Blackbirds by Cat Winters – I have to catch up on two of Winters’ novels, but this is the one I own and the one I need to reach for first. 

4. The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden – I really don’t know much about this book other than a few bloggers I trust loved it when I added it to my TBR a couple of years ago.

5. Dreamfall by Amy Plum – I should have already read this one. It combines two of my favorite things: dreams and horror. Now I’m kicking myself for not putting this on this year’s October TBR.

6. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke – I really need to read more books by this author. I even have this one and have heard several people say it’s really good. Don’t know what’s keeping me from it

7. A Taste for Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby – Another book I’m regretting not putting on my October TBR. I heard this one is charming and sometimes a charming horror read is just what the doctor ordered.

8. Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales by Various – I remember how excited I was for this one, but I never got around to reading it. I think it was my fear of anthologies that kept me away.

9. The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff – This is the only Brenna Yovanoff novel I haven’t read. I really like how weird and creepy her stories are, so no excuse for not getting to this one.

10. Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie – I don’t remember much about this one, but it sounded really creepy at the time and I heard pretty good reviews. I couldn’t find a copy of it for a while, so ended up kind of losing interest.

Have you read any of these? Which Halloween-esque novel have you had on your TBR for years? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fictional Villains I Can’t Help But Root For

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Villains (favorite, best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil, etc.).” I love a book with a great villain and even better, I love a book where the villain is actually the protagonist. When this happens, I sometimes find myself rooting for them. But they are so deliciously evil, who can blame me? Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Why do I have such a fascination with this character? It’s not that I was rooting for Voldemort, but I really like Bellatrix’s character, probably because she was so unapologetically bad.

2. Lada from And I Darken series by Kiersten White – I’ve only read the first book, but based on it and the little I know of Vlad the Impaler, whom Lada is based upon, I would consider her a villain. And yet, I kind of respect her mercilessness and would actually like to see more female characters valued for things other than their softness.

3. Xifeng from Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao – I need more villain origin stories like this one where it’s so well done that by the end you forget to root for the good guys.

4. Jude from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – This might be a weird choice, but I’m considering Jude to be the villain in The Cruel Prince because it takes place in a fairy world without the real world being a place the protagonist wishes to return to. Her goal is to earn a place in this otherworld despite being mortal which means screwing over a lot of fairies in the process and being a villain to them. Gosh, I love the concept behind this story so much.

5. Dane Twins from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Scwab – This is particularly aimed at Astrid Dane, but you can include Athos Dane as well. You ever come across a villain that is so evil and enjoys being evil that you accidentally kind of want to be on their side?

6. Adelina from The Young Elites by Marie Lu – I wasn’t completely satisfied with the conclusion of this series, but I loved seeing Adelina’s fall from grace and felt that the injustices done to her kind of justified that fall.

7. Kit from Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell – We’re not supposed to root for serial killers, right? It’s been a while since I read this one and I’m a little fuzzy on the details, but I remember when Kit was under suspicion for being a serial killer, how badly I wanted her to get away with it.

8. Frankenstein’s Monster from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – I’ve read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein several times and have called both Frankenstein and the monster villains. Maybe there is no right way to look at this novel, but the consensus in popular culture is that we should fear the creature rather than the creator. I am of the opinion that anyone who digs up graves, steals body parts, and them mashes together in order to prove he can be God himself is far more dangerous than an existential crisis.

9. Maram from Mirage by Somaiya Daud – At first I was nowhere near a fan of Maram because of how she treats the protagonist Amani, but like Amani, Maram kind of grew on me and I’m still hoping for a redemption arc for her.

10. The Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss – My final pick is the Grinch, based on the story from the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have very strong feelings about this movie. The Whos hated the Grinch because he was different, bullied him out of school, and then judged him for not loving a holiday that brought back all those terrible memories for him. With the exception of Cindy Lou, they all deserved for their Christmas to be ruined.

Which villains have you accidentally rooted for? Do you love any of these bad guys like I do? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.