Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read (and the One Book I Finally Read After All These Years)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

The topic this week is Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Have Read but I'm tweaking it a little to Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read. These are books that have been on my TBR for what feels like forever and some I have even started but then never picked up again.

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I've read book 1 and book 3 of The Hunger Games trilogy but never book 2.

2. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I've started and restarted this book more times than I can remember. 

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I read half of it and then just never finished it.

4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I've gotten it from the library several times but never actually read it.

5. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarity

This is another book that I've checked out a number of times but never seem to read.

6. Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff

Like everyone else I bought this because of the hype but I haven't actually read it.

7. The Bible

I've read it in parts but I've never read the Bible all the way through.

8. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This fantasy series is a classic and I love the movies but I've never read the books.

9. Gone with the Wind by Margret Mitchell

Of all the classic books I've wanted to read this one comes in second. 

10. Dracula by Bram Stoker

My favorite paranormal and horror fiction is about vampires but I've never read the book that started it all.

Bonus: The Book I FINALLY Read!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Last year I finally read what some consider the epitome of the romance genre. It was a the classic book I'd wanted to read most of all.

Day Four Winter Bibliothon Blog Challenge: Holiday/Winter Fantasy Bucket List

 

My challenge to you is to blog about 10-15 things you want to do during the holidays or winter season with your favorite book characters.

My favorite Holiday/Winter book is Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I think Bridget is the perfect best friend so I was really excited to do this challenge!

1. Drink with Bridget and her friends at a fancy dinner party




2. Weigh myself with Bridget and be horrified




3. Drink with Bridget and cry about how lonely we are and decide vodka is better than men.




4. Make fun of Mark Darcy's clothes. (In the book it was bumblebee socks.)




5. Get wasted and sing karoke with Bridget (This scene was not in the book.)




6. Wax our legs together




7. Go to a Tarts and Vicars party with Bridget




8. Over analyze what our love interests say and wonder if they were being sarcastic




9. I would talk her out of her giant tummy holding in panties (In the book they won't stop rolling down over her tummy. Been there, done that!)




10. Swap #MeToo stories about creepy guys




11. Bond over how we both always feel like idiots




12. Also bond over how men are emotional fuckwits




13 More bonding over how we have felt like idiots but in public




14. Bond over how we are both terrible cooks


 

15. Lastly cheer each other on during our best girl power moments

Day Three Winter Bibliothon Blog Challenge: Favorite Winter Scene

My favorite winter scene is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling and is the part about the Yule Ball.

I love this part of the series because we FINALLY get some romance but also because what could be more magical than an actual magical dance at Hogwarts?

Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights — meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer." ~ J.K. Rowling

Actual fairies! How amazing does that sound?

Here are the Youtube videos of the Yule Ball from the movie:

Day Two Winter Bibliothon Blog Challenge: Create Your Own Bookish Beverage

My blog is Whole Latte Ideas so you know I'm going to choose a latte but the challenge is the beverage must be based on a book or character. I didn't exactly create a latte but searched Pinterest instead. Is that cheating? Probably. 

I found this Harry Potter Butterbeer Latte recipe on Pinterest which is from The Grant Life. 

Harry Potter Butterbeer Latte

Author: Kelley Grant

Ingredients

• 6 ounces boiling water
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso
• 1 tablespoon English toffee syrup
• 1 tablespoon caramel syrup
• 1 cup of milk
• whipped cream and caramel sauce for topping

Instructions

1. Stir in the instant espresso in the boiling water until dissolved.
2. In a glass add the English toffee and caramel syrups. Pour the hot espresso mixture over and combine.
3. Pour in the milk and give a quick stir.
4. Top with whipped cream and caramel.
5. Enjoy!

Day One Winter Bibliothon Blog Challenge: Snow Day Reading List

I'm posting some of the blog challenges quite late but I really wanted to get caught up.

Here are five books around the theme of snow day:

1. The Snowman (Harry Hole #7)by Jo Nesbø

2. Winter Solstice (Winter #4) by Elin Hilderbrand

3. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

4. Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow #1)by Danielle Paige

5. The Shining (The Shining #1)by Stephen King

Otherworld (Otherworld #1) by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Last year I decided not to do book reviews. That was a huge mistake! What kind of book blogger doesn't post reviews of the books they read? This year I have decided to bring my book reviews back.

First let's read the blurb from Goodreads:

The company says Otherworld is amazing—like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive—that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true. 

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted. 

 And it’s about to change humanity forever. Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming.

My book review:

I started off thinking everything in this book was completely unbelievable but ended up loving it. Segel and Miller do a great job of world building. I liked the characters especially Simon (if I don't like the main character it's game over, pun intended) but I really wish I had a chance to get to know Kat.

However I think the biggest flaw of the book is the timeline. Otherworld is released to a few thousand people that all become serial killing, cannibalistic psychopaths in only a week? That is completely and utterly unbelievable. It would have taken weeks if not months for things to get as crazy as they did.

Did all the Children get created in only a week? Or were they being created while Otherworld was in development?

Where is the paradise part in Otherworld? Another unbelievable aspect of the story was that only psychopaths and perverts were interested in the game. No on wanted to spend all their time in a room full of puppies? Or sliding down rainbows and bouncing on clouds? Or on safari? Visiting Paris or Eygpt? Making love to famous movie stars? Having the perfect home life married to the man of their dreams? Why is it assumed the only thing people are interested in is killing each other and gathering stuff? Did the authors not realize the popularity of The Sims? Did they think the only people that are gamers are interested in World of Warcraft or Grand Theft Auto? I suppose the other things don't make a very exciting book, do they?

Honestly, this book was probably more like a three star book but despite the plot and setting flaws it was written so well that I enjoyed the entire thing. I do love a guy who will do anything to save the one that he loves. And fighting off cannibals is pretty impressive.

Too bad we don't know Kat's story about fighting off all the cannibalistic guests and children. Hopefully book two will tell more of her story!

My rating: 

My Winter Biannual Bibliothon TBR

I am almost hesitant to post a TBR for the Winter Biannual Bibliothon because it's Jan 15 and I have yet to get a book read. I haven't gotten any of my projects or goals done. I have been having the longest hypomanic episode of my life.  I have bipolar II and have spent most of the month irritable, scattered, and unable to focus on anything. A phase like this isn't unusual for me but normally it lasts a week. I've never had it last three weeks before. 

Still, half the fun of the Winter Biannual Bibliothon is the reading challenges. It actually helps me focus on my reading goals too.

I also plan on doing the blog challenges. The blog challenges can be found on the Biannual Bibliothon Instagram

Here is the Winter Biannual Bibliothon Reading Challenges video.

Reading Challenges:

1. Read the group book: Otherworld by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller 

2. Read a sequel 

3. Read a book you've never heard of before 

4. Read a book about mental illness 

5. Read a book that was mentioned in another book/movie/show etc. 

6. Read a book under 200 pages 

7. Read a backlist title

My TBR Challenge is:

1.The group book: Otherworld by Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller 

2. Sequel: Fire and Ice (Warriors #2) by Erin Hunter

3. Book I've never heard of before: The Doll Funeral by Kate Hamer (Found it browsing through Overdrive.)

4. Book about mental illness: Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel (This is a reread.)

5. Book mentioned in another book:  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (Mentioned in Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I don't know which book it's from so was happy to find both in one.)

6. Book under 200 pages: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

7. Backlist title: Heartless by Marrissa Meyer

2017 End of the Year Book Survey

This wonderful end of the year survey is hosted by Perpetual Page Turner

Number Of Books You Read: 41

Number of Re-Reads: 0

Genre You Read The Most From: Young Adult

1. Best Book You Read In 2017? 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (This book was life altering.)

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (I hated the ableism and plot twist ending.)

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

Habibi by Craig Thompson because it had so much disturbing content (rape, gratuitous nudity, violence, farting, misogyny)

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

The Martian by Andy Weir (and by "people" I mean my 16 year old son who read a  book not assigned at school for the first time ever). I also kept pushing my 13 year old daughter to read Harry Potter but that was not a success.

5. Best series you started in 2017? 

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

Best Sequel of 2017? 

The Burning World by Isaac Marion

Best Series Ender of 2017?

Origin by Dan Brown (not sure if  it's ender, just the last book in the series so far)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?

Fredrik Backman

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Blankets by Craig Thompson (After being traumatized by Habibi I was scared but Blankets was pretty good. Still had gratuitous nudity though. Why?)

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

 The Circle by Dave Eggers

 9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?

11. Most memorable character of 2017?

 Hannah Baker from Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?

 The Sum is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?

 The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (I literally called it life changing earlier! I swear I had not read this question!)

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 

 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?

from The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

16. Shortest Book You Read 

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Longest Book You Read In 2017?

Habibi by Craig Thompson

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Habibi by Craig Thompson 

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Mitsuha and Taki in your name, by Makuto Shinkai

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Ove and Parvaneh in A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King

21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?

Dylan, the merman from Goddess of the Sea by P.C. Cast

23. Best 2017 debut you read?

I don't think I read any debut authors in 2017. My bad!

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (It had me ugly crying.)

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (I was mad at her mother.)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?

Feed Your Fiction Addiction

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?

I tried something new in 2017 and didn't post my book reviews on my blog. Yeah, I was a book blogger that didn't review books. I'll be posting reviews  in 2018.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

Mandela Effect or Did I Selectively Ignore These Symptoms of BPD?

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

It was in 2016 but nothing will ever top the Pokemon Indigo League Reading Challenge

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?

This was not my year...

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

My 4 year old was so needy and clingy and demanding this year. 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My 2018 YA Reading Challenge Info and Sign Up Post

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

My Unusual Youtube post

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Coming Soon listings at the Barnes and Noble website

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Nope but mostly because I also decided not to do the different yearly reading challenges. I didn't review, didn't do reading challenges...it's no wonder 2017 wasn't my year for blogging.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (I checked it out of the library over and over but only got halfway through.)

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

The Last Jedi by Jason Fry

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Don't know....

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

The Last Jedi by Jason Fry

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?

Read and review 100 books

6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

I'm not that special. I don't get advanced copies.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by hosted by The Broke and the Bookish but after Jan 9, 2017 it will be hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

The topic this week is Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2017. 

1. Sarah J Mass

2. Evelyn Skye

3. Jane Austen

4. Nicola Yoon 

5. W. Bruce Cameron

6. Erin Hunter

7. Margaret Atwood

8. Craig Thompson

9. Jeanette Walls 

10. Fredrik Backman