Tell Me Something Tuesday: Required Reading! First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros!4/9/2018
Today is the first full day I'm going to be away from my daughter in 4 years!! I'm trying to distract myself with a ton of work so wish me luck lol As always, we'll start with Tell Me Something Tuesday! Tell Me Something Tuesday which is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'What were some of your favourite required reading books in school?' I was (obviously) the kid who absolutely loved reading at school, I was also the girl who took extra books to read once I'd finish the class work. Some of my favourite required reading in school included; Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, Great Expectations and Educating Rita. My favourites in college included; The Colour Purple and A Midsummer Night's Dream. My least favourite has to be The Scarlet Letter which was one of the most boring things I've ever read! I loved English in school and in college. My biggest regret is not continuing to study English at university, I probably would have stuck it out if I had!! How about you? What was your favourite required reading? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. This week I've decided to feature a book I'm hoping to read soon, 'DJ Dangerfield' by Anyta Sunday. Here's the first two paragraphs: "I don't even know why I keep ringing in. It inevitably ends up with me wanting to...I don't know, punch a puppy and chuck my radio out into the night or something." I looked up from where I was lying on my roommate's bedroom floor. The tassels on the old brown-and-red-patched lampshade twisted gently in the cold Dunedin wind that tunneled through the half-open window. The phone was warm against my ear though, and every time his voice came down the line, it got warmer. What do you think? Would you keep reading?
Don't forget to leave your thoughts and links in the comments below. Happy Friday! I can't tell you how glad I am that it's finally Friday. This week has been ridiculous and yesterday saw me pulling my hair out as my laptop died a very painful death 😭😭😭 I'm trying to distract myself with blog posts and reading, so I'm jumping back into the Friday 56 meme. The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
The book I've chosen to feature today is the next book on my TBR. Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce is a YA Fantasy novel that promises lots of magic and I can't wait to dig in! Check out the Goodreads synopsis below (and click the cover image to add to your TBR): Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie. In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies. Here's my chosen quote from 56% (I had to choose this carefully to avoid spoiling anything for myself): Slowly Arram smiled. Ozorne's sense of humour could take a cruel turn, it was true, but he meant no harm. And it was good to be back, among pretty girls, eating warm meals, and bathing in hot water. Best of all, he had four days before he had to haul himself out of bed at dawn, ready for school. Who knew? He might even be able to produce some magic by then. I'm really excited to read this book and I have my fingers crossed for a good read!
What do you think? Would you read this? Let me know what you're reading in the comments below, and have a great weekend! Tell Me Something Tuesday: Book Cover Characters! First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros!28/8/2018
So, this past week has been a bit of a bust. I've barely read anything because of a stupid cold and fever, which is thankfully on its way out, and so fingers crossed I'll have more posts over the next week, starting with today's Tuesday blog memes! As always, we'll start with Tell Me Something Tuesday! Tell Me Something Tuesday which is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'Does it bother you when a book cover doesn't fit the characters in the book?' In a nutshell, yes, but even so, it's not a massive pet peeve of mine. If there's a character on the cover of the book, then yes, I think it works well when the cover model fits the character of the book. It gives you a feel for who the character is, and sometimes can help you to better picture the character in your mind (although I often find my imagination creates someone different to whoever's on the cover anyway). Some of my favourite character covers include: To Be Honest by Maggie Ann Martin, the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and the Harry Potter series (the original covers). There are plenty of covers without characters that I love and some that only feature cartoon characters i.e. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and whilst I do like them to be as close as possible to the character in the book, it doesn't really matter too much, because it'll never 100% match who I imagine in my head. What about you? How do you feel about this? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. To fit with today's Tell Me Something Tuesday topic, I've chosen to feature Dumplin' by Julie Murphy because a.) the cover is adorable and b.) I really want to read this book (especially before the film comes out)! I'm going to share the first two paragraphs: All the best things in my life have started with a Dolly Parton song. Including my friendship with Ellen Dryver. The song that sealed the deal was "Dumb Blonde" from her 1967 debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly. During the summer before first grade, my aunt Lucy bonded with Mrs. Dryver over their mutual devotion to Dolly. While they sipped sweet tea in the dining room, Ellen and I would sit on the couch watching cartoons, unsure of what to make of each other. Bu then one afternoon that song came on over Mrs. Dryver's stereo. Ellen tapped her foot as I hummed along, and before Dolly had even hit the chorus, we were spinning in circles and singing at the top of our lungs. Thankfully, our love for each other and Dolly ended up running deeper than one song. What do you think? Would you keep reading?
Don't forget to leave your thoughts and links in the comments below! Hiiii :D Thanks for stopping by! I'm really enjoying these weekly Tuesday memes and hope you are too! Let's jump straight in with Tell Me Something Tuesday: Tell Me Something Tuesday which is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'What things are you drawn to when choosing your next read?' So, admittedly I'm a bit of a book cover lover. I try so hard not to judge books by their cover, but I can't help it when they call out to me. Let's face it, there are some really gorgeous looking books out there. Saying that though, if the synopsis/first page doesn't grab my interest I won't pick it up just based on the cover alone and I have read some phenomenal books with really horrible covers. I do have a few 'one-click authors', you know the ones where you love their work so much that you're almost guaranteed to enjoy whatever they write next, and so anything from those certain authors I'll probably buy even without knowing much about the book itself. That's it really, I'm sort of easy come, easy go when it comes to choosing the next book to read. I don't mind switching through different genres and have found myself enjoying a wider variety of books lately than I ever have before. I'm particularly drawn to books with strong female characters, whether they are 'good', 'evil' or anything in between, that works well for me. I love books that have great diversity, whether it's representing different cultures, LGBT+, disability, mental health, body positivity etc. Add in a smidgen of romance (as long as it isn't unnecessary and detracting from the plot) and the occasional spot of magic and I'm all in! What about you? What draws you to a book? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. To fit with the topic of Tell Me Something Tuesday, I've chosen to share the first paragraph of my current read, which was a really spontaneous purchase. A thick gray wall of fog hovered over the damp stones of Hanbury Street, carrying the stink of old blood and rotting entrails. Darcie Finch shivered as chilled wisps curled like talons about her slim frame, and she hastened her steps, her feet sliding precariously on the wet cobblestones. Clutching her battered leather folio against her side, she tried in vain to close her senses to the stench. So far I'm loving how dark and mysterious this book is.
What do you think? Would you keep reading? Please feel free to leave your comments and links below! Happy Friday! What does everyone have planned for the weekend? I have my fingers crossed for a quiet, reading filled one!! I'm actually pretty pleased with how much I managed to do this week and am feeling a little more productive with my blog after a week of almost no posts at all and I'm really happy to be doing another #Friday56 post after missing it last week. The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
The book I've chosen today is by one of my all-time favourite romance authors, but it's not a romance novel. It's an NA thriller, and it's fantastic and extremely underrated. This book seriously messed with my head, drove me all kinds of crazy and I'm still not over it even though I read it about a year ago!! Here's the Goodreads synopsis for Bury Me by Tara Sivec: I hear screams in my head. I see blood on my hands. When I look in the mirror I see a stranger. How is it that I can remember bits and pieces of my life, but nothing of any importance and nothing that makes any sense? Everything is twisted and nothing is right. I’m choking with every breath I take, suffocating on the unknown. Two days ago, everything changed. Two days ago, the people I should trust the most became strangers in my convoluted head. The dreams I have can’t be real. The fleeting memories that whisper through my mind are scary and wrong…they have to be. If they aren’t, I have something much worse to fear than my fractured mind. I need to find out the truth, even if it destroys me. I've been told my name is Ravenna Duskin. I’m eighteen years old and I live in a prison… I know, right? Even the synopsis gives me chills! Here's my chosen quote from page 56: Staring at the pristine pink room with the bed neatly made, I scream in frustration, stomp over to the covers and rip them from the bed. Before I went outside this morning, I found a dark blue comforter in the bathroom closet and remade my bed with something I found appealing, instead of something that disgusted me. My mother must have switched the blankets after I left to go on my walk. In a fit of rage, I crumple the pink comforter in my arms, open the window next to my bed, and toss it out into the air. Clutching onto the windowsill, I watch it flutter to the ground, landing in a heap in the grass two stories below, and wish I could follow right along with it. Sorry about the longer than usual quote but I just feel that this section perfectly captures the turmoil of this character and how she's feeling.
I love this book, it really blew me away and if you decide to read it, I hope you love it as much as I did, even as you question your own sanity at the end. Happy Tuesday! What are you reading this week? I'm still bouncing between Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton and The Novice by Taran Matharu (which has now become a buddy read). Let's jump into the first of today's blog memes. First up, we have: Tell Me Something Tuesday which is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'At what point do you think a series has gone on too long?' This is a tricky one. I've read some amazing series that span LOADS of books i.e the Throne of Glass Series and Harry Potter, so it's hard to pick a point where a series has gone on too long. I think it's more of a feeling. If you start to lose interest in the plot or the characters, that's a major indicator that the series has gone on too long, but I suppose that can happen in any book, not just a series. There are a few series that I've grown tired of, the Divergent series being the most obvious one for me. I'm not sure what happened there, I loved book one, tolerated book two and completely lost interest in book three; I just wasn't invested in the characters anymore. The Mortal Instruments series was also a tough one for me to finish. As a romantic, I wanted more of the lovey dovey stuff, but felt like it took forever to get there. I enjoyed the magic and the characters but more than once, I almost stopped reading. I guess it doesn't matter how long a series is, if the characters are compelling and grow throughout the novel, if the plot is engaging and ever changing, if the writing/voice is consistently good, I'll probably keep reading! What do you think? Is there a point where you think a series has gone on too long? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. To fit with the topic of Tell Me Something Tuesday, I've chosen to share the first chapter of a six part series that I'm really enjoying. There are only 3 books out at the moment, and I can't wait to keep reading! The old spellmasters like to say that magic has a taste. Ember spells are like a spice burning the tip of your tongue. Breath magic is subtle, almost cool, the sensation of holding a mint leaf between your lips. Sand, silk, blood, iron...they each have their flavour. A true adept - the kind of mage who can cast spells even outside an oasis knows them all. Me? I had no idea what the high magics tasted like, which was why I was in so much trouble. What do you think? Would you/have you read this? Feel free to leave your comments and links below. Hi all! I hope you're having a good week so far! I really enjoyed the two new memes I joined last week, so I'm going to stick with them again this week, I hope you enjoy! First up, we have: Tell Me Something Tuesday which is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'For those who don’t have time to reread series, what would you reread when you found the time?' I'm one of those people who loves to re-read books but in between running a business, being a mum, running my blog and trying to have some semblance of a normal life (yeah, right), I don't get to do this as often as I'd like. I used to re-read The Night Circus (featured below) by Erin Morgenstern religiously each year. It was the first book I buddy read with my partner and we both fell in love with it. Each time I read it I feel like I uncover some new secret as I'm transported back to the mysterious circus, but I just haven't had time to do it the past two years and it's looking unlikely this year too. Since my daughter is now four, I've been re-reading some of my childhood favourites to her. We've been working our way through a range of Brother's Grimm fairy tales alongside a book called The Dragon's Eye. I can't wait until she's ready for me to read Harry Potter with her as I've been waiting to re-read the series for years!! Other than those few books, the only other books I re-read are shorter contemporary romances, books I know I love and can read quickly, usually in just a few hours to put me in a good mood. These books are limited to three of my favourite romance authors; Tara Sivec, Sophie Jordan and R.L. Mathewson. Their books always make me smile. What about you? What would you reread when you had the time? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. To fit with the topic of Tell Me Something Tuesday, I've chosen to share the first chapter of one of my all time favourite rereads, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
What do you think? Would you/have you read this?
Feel free to leave your comments and links below. Happy Friday! I had so many blog posts planned for this week but sadly work and just life in general has been crazy hectic, so I'm a little behind, but fingers crossed I'll have more for you soon! 🤞 On that note, I just wanted to thank everyone who's subscribed so far!! It means so much, thank you! 😊 The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
Today's spotlighted book is one of my 3 current reads. It's a brand new release that only came out this week from one of my favourite romance authors Anyta Sunday. Here's a little about the book, Admiring Ash, courtesy of Goodreads: A is for Ash Heartford. Adorable, strong, and independent. Abandoned by his parents and attached to only one person—his little sister. Attracted to River, the sultry man who saunters onto his doorstep with startling news. Always yearning for more River, yet afraid to let him in. Should he play it safe, or claim his legacy and risk losing his heart? A is for Admiring Ash. Here's my chosen quote from 56%: That jolted hope through him. Maybe it wasn't such a stretch of the imagination to believe he could run this store? River would be there to show him the way. I'm 70% of the way through this short m/m romance and so far it's super sweet and slow burn, the usual Anyta Sunday trademark, and that's definitely a good thing! Looking forward to seeing this through to the end and meeting the other characters in this series.
What do you think? Have you read any of Anyta's books? Would you read this one? Feel free to leave your links and thoughts in the comments below 😄 Tell Me Something Tuesday: Popular Book Series! First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros!31/7/2018
Hello lovelies!! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you don't mind that I've decided to change things up a little this week. I was getting a bit tired of doing the TopTenTuesday meme as it takes ages to find ten book covers that fit the theme but the posts themselves were a little bland. So, I found two new memes that I'd like to try and cover in one post that will hopefully make things a little more interesting! First off: Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where a wide range of topics are discussed from books to blogging. This week's topic is 'What are some popular series you haven't tried or have and stopped because they just don't appeal to you?' This is quite a fun opening question as there are some popular series that I just haven't gotten around to yet and there are some that I didn't enjoy or don't want to read at all because they just don't appeal to me. I know there are some readers who will read a book simply because it's popular, because everyone else is raving about it, and whilst I obviously take reviews into account to some extent when looking at what books to read, I occasionally find myself going against the grain and being drawn to a book by it's synopsis or sampler even though it has awful reviews. Sometimes I end up agreeing with the reviews and don't enjoy the book, other times I discover a book that I truly love. It also works the other way around. Sometimes I'll read a book that has amazing reviews and I'll hate it or at least not enjoy it enough to keep reading. So, on that note here are some popular series I tried to read but couldn't finish/didn't enjoy:
Onto a more positive note, there a quite a few popular book series that I'm really looking forward to starting including; A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Scythe by Neil Shusterman, The Summoner Series by Taran Matharu and To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. 😍😍😍 I'm so excited to start these!! There are also a few popular series that I'm really excited to continue with after reading the first book in the series:
What about you? What popular book series have you stayed away from or not enjoyed? Up next is the First Chapter, First Paragraph - Tuesday Intros meme. This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach and the idea is to post the first paragraph (or two) of the first chapter of a book you are currently reading or that you want to read. To fit with the topic of Tell Me Something Tuesday, I've chosen to share the first chapter of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. Kell wore a very peculiar coat. It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but several, which was, of course, impossible. The first thing he did whenever he stepped out of one London and into another was take off the coat and turn it inside out once or twice (or even three times) until he found the site he needed. Not all of them were fashionable, but they each served a purpose. There were ones that blended in and ones that stood out, and one that served no purpose but of which he was just particularly fond. I actually really like this opening. It grabs me by throwing up loads of questions that I feel I need to find the answers to.
What about you? Would you/have you read this? Feel free to leave your comments and your links in the comments below, and let me know what you think of this new weekly post! 😃 It's finally Friday! I am so ready for the weekend after what has been a ridiculously busy week - I'm exhausted! Fingers crossed I'll actually have some time to read and blog this weekend too! The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
Today, I'm choosing a book that I'm about to start. It's Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton. I received this YA Fantasy in a recent book box and can't wait to dig in! Here's the Goodreads synopsis: In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood. Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch. But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy. Here's my chosen quote from page 56 (this page literally has 4 sentences, so there wasn't much to choose from): "And something was wrong. Very wrong." What do you think? Are you intrigued?
Let me know your thoughts (and drop your links) in the comments below, and have a great weekend! |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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