October Round Up

This was my first Blogtober and I learned a lot about myself as a blogger and a writer. I have enjoyed the wide-range of content I’ve written about on my blog. Sometimes, being a book blogger can be boring. The books and reviews can be very hit or miss. But with different topics and categories, it was fun to do some research or gather lists and things I don’t normally think about.

I think my favorite post this month was my book regrets post. I never thought I had books I regretted reading until I sat down and thought about it. But much like movies and TV shows, I wish I could get back that time and energy from reading those books.

I didn’t quite stay on schedule this month. In theory, I love making a schedule that I can return to. It makes me feel organized and less pressured about what I need to do on a given day. But sometimes, life gets in the way and we can’t do everything we set out to. Or, you just don’t feel like writing about a certain topic on the assigned day. I think, if I do this again, I will be less structured and not have assigned days. Maybe just have 30+ topics I can choose from and then decide day by day what I feel like writing about.

I also found that writing posts in advance is great in theory, but when I take a day and write a bunch of posts to queue for later, I don’t like the way they turn out. I like the spontaneity in my writing. I wish I would have had the chance to write a little every day instead of drafting posts to be released later. But I also know that was not realistic. I was out of town a lot this month and had too much going on. It’s just something to keep in mind for next time.

 

Did you participate in blogtober? How was your month?

October Book Round Up

This has been a difficult reading month for me. I’ve started at least six books, but I only finished one. Part of this month has been hectic, but I also haven’t been motivated.

---

Here are my book updates:

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver: I picked this book up on a whim the day before I left for my best friend’s wedding. I always travel with a book, and when I was in Target picking up travel supplies for the weekend, I wondered over to the book section. Broken Things caught my eye. I knew I was going to be busy that weekend, but I always try to read at least 10 minutes before bed each night. I definitely did not have much time and haven’t even unpacked this book from my suitcase. I’ve read 23 of 408 pages.

Catwoman Soulstealer by Sarah J Maas: SJM is one of my favorite young adult authors and I have LOVED the DC Icon series. I started this book earlier this month, but life got in the way and I haven’t had the time to pick it back up. Plus, with the release of Kingdom of Ash, this is not the Maas book at the top of my list. I’ve read 49 of 358 pages.

The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal: The first book in this series, The Calculating Stars blew me away. It was one of my favorite reads this year. I was excited when I picked up The Fated Sky from the library. But honestly, I read it the first night I got it and then put it on my shelf to read later. This is a book that will take time to read, like its predecessor and I was looking for something lighter at the time. I’ve made it through 91 of 371 pages.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas: This has been my most anticipated release of the year. I had KOA pre-ordered for months. Now that I have it, I’ve been slow to read it. I want to savor this book because I don’t want this journey to end. I’m only on page 70 of 980.

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: The WMF was a re-read for me. But this has been a slow one. I wanted to comb through this book carefully. I started my re-read back in August and finally finished it two days ago. This is the only book I’ve finished this month, but I’m glad that this last re-through happened.

---

Books I decided to DNF this month:

• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I decided to DNF both of these books because I just wasn’t feeling them at the time. I’m not going to remove either of these from my giant TBR List, but I will be moving them to the bottom. I would like to return to both of these books eventually, but I’m not in a rush to read either book right now. I read the first 20 pages of each and just wasn’t gripped. I think I suffered this month from wanting to read a light book given how dense the rest of the books I tried reading were and neither of these fit that for me.

 

How was your reading this month?

Stardust Review

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The town of Wall is a quaint little place. Wall is so named for the enormous wall and its guards posted at an opening in the wall. Once every nine years, people come from far and wide to cross the wall into the land of Faerie to attend the market.

The story begins with Dunstan Thorn crossing the wall, meeting a young girl, and them conceiving a child. Their son, Tristan Thorn is the star of the story. He desperately tries to win the love of Victoria Forester. Tristan sees a star fall to the earth beyond the wall, and promises to being it back for Victoria.

But when Tristan enters the land of Faerie, he gets more than he bargained for. Everyone is desperately searching for the fallen star and the benefits that come along with it. Tristan is taken on the adventure of his life and begins to question what he’d do for his true love.

I listened to this book on my way to/from a trip to Chicago. Stardust was a joy yo listen to. Gaiman makes his characters come to life. The story was hilarious and complex with a rich cast of characters. Gaiman has a talent of world building and making the mysterious of a magical world seem ordinary. The plot felt deliberate and the magical realm so detailed that I wanted to immerse myself into the story and stay alongside Tristan. I highly recommend this book. It’s the perfect fantasy story to whisk you away to a new world.

Rating: 4.5/5

Autumn Reading

Autumn can be one of the best and worst times for a reader. Cold nights make us want to stay in and curl up in a comfortable place with a good book. But fall can also be a time that distracts us from reading.

I love reading in the fall. It’s warm enough that I can read outside in the sunshine, but cool enough that I can justify shutting myself inside for hours. Bad weather is the perfect excuse to stay in with a book without feeling guilty. I also feel like there are a lot of great new releases as the year winds down.

However, fall can come with many distractions as well. Our days our getting shorter and sometimes that can make us feel like we haven’t accomplished much in a day. Pleasure activities, like reading, often get bumped out of the way to make room for finishing out daily to-do lists. Fall is also full of family-oriented activities and holidays. While it is a wonderful time to come together, our TBR lists suffer in favor of spending time with loved ones.

Why is fall your favorite or least favorite time to be a reader?

Books I Wish I’ve Read

Last week, I discussed my Book Regrets. These were books that I have regretted reading. This week, I think it’s only fair that I compile a list of seven books that I wish I’ve read by now. Some of these books are classics I wish I read while in school instead of glossing over them, some are books that have been hyped up and I have been afraid of reading, and others have just been on my TBR list for a long time.

---

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: This is an incredibly short book and I have no excuse for why I haven’t finished it yet. I have picked this book up and have read the first half of it at least six times. But I get distracted and forget about it. I like what I’ve read so far, and have no idea why I’ve never finished it.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: Do you know that feeling when you love an author for a specific series and you’re afraid to read anything else by them in case your illusions are shattered? That’s how I feel about this book. It has been on my shelf since I bought it in 2012. It has been through three different moves with me, but I haven’t opened the book once.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: This is one of those books that I avoided in high school. I pretended to read it and in the end, I think it hurt me. Crime and Punishment is a classic that I wish I had read by now. I even picked up a beautiful copy to entice myself to read it (this hasn’t worked yet), but I think I’m going to force myself to read it this winter.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: At first, I was hesitant to read this book because I had not read anything by Leigh Bardugo. I didn’t know this was set in the same world as her other trilogy, but I have been assured that you don’t need to read the trilogy first before understanding this book. This book has been rated highly and I’ afraid I built up too many expectations to enjoy this book.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: I have a love/hate relationship with Jane Austen’s writing. But, I’ve been told that this is one of Austen’s best books. I have been avoiding this book because this is the last Austen book I have yet to read. Part of me doesn’t want to read this book because I don’t want to have read everything by Austen. But I know I’ll cave soon.

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff: I own this series but it has been sitting on my shelf. Everyone has promised that this series will blow me away, but I’m hesitant. I have high expectations for this series because of its high praise. But I’m a little scared to start it and be disappointed.

My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg: I have been reading this book since it came out two years ago, in October of 2016. This has been an incredibly slow read. I love going through RBG’s speeches and decisions. But it is dense. I’ll get in the mood to sit down and read this book and other times, I would prefer something light. I wish I would have gotten through this book by now, but I’m only about 1/3 of the way through it.

Fall Decorations

Sometimes, it can be difficult to decorate for fall. Technically, you have two holidays in the fall and a lot of sports come back in season. It can be confusing deciding what to put out. Or maybe, you don’t have many fall decorations for the same reasons. Many people do not want to go all-out on Halloween decorations because they are waiting for Christmas. Or, you aren’t sure what you can put out. Here are some ideas that I have come across over the past year.

Fall Wreaths: Burlap wreaths are an easy way to add a touch of fall to your home. This quick and easy DIY video walks you through a tutorial. All you’ll need is a wreath frame, wire, burlap, and scissors to complete your project.

Wood Signs: Wood signs are an easy way to add a touch of fall. Most signs will be Halloween specific. Some of my favorite ones I put on my bar cart read “Drink of Witches” and “This Witch Needs Wine.” But there are also simple ones like “Happy Fall, Y’all”. You can find wood signs in most store you walk into, like Target, Walmart, or TJ Maxx. I have even found a few in my local grocery store as well.

Flowers & Pumpkins: Never underestimate the power of dollar store finds. Your local dollar or discount store likely has some simple decorations that could really spruce up your place. I found some great dark purple and black flowers for a Halloween aesthetic, or some orange, yellow, and red flowers you can set in a vase. I like fake flowers because you don’t have to worry about watering them or what they’ll look like when they die. Dollar stores are also great for plastic pumpkins. You can keep these as they come, or you can spray paint them any color you’d like.

Fall Candles

I am a candle junkie. I collect and stockpile any good candles I can find. One good sale, and I’m hooked! I love using candles in the fall because it’s a great way to warm up your place.

Some of my favorite candles are from Bath & Body Works. I’m not much of a sweet candle person. For fall I prefer notes of clove, fir needle, cedar wood, mahogany, and teakwood. But, Bath & Body Works have some amazing scents to fill your home with pumpkin, vanilla, and cranberry. I like these three-wick candles because they have a long burning time of about 30+ hours and the scent has a far-range. I can have the candle in my living room, and the scent travels upstairs to our bedrooms.

If you’re looking for some book themed fall candles, I suggest In the Wick of Time. These candles are vegan and soy-based and smell wonderful. I have the Waystone Inn candle and it smells just like a comfortable pub setting of cider, leather, and wood. I also purchased Jack the Pumpkin King candle and this is the perfect fall candle. It smells like pumpkin and cinnamon. This is the perfect candle to feel like you’ve been transported to a pumpkin patch.

What are your favorite scents and candles?

Cozy Books & Shows

When I think cozy books and television, I think things I can constantly come back to. Whether it’s an old favorite or a new thing, these are the books and shows I can return to time and time again. I have complied a list of my favorite books and favorite shows to binge.

---

Books

These eight books are books that I have read multiple times over the years. Each of these books/series hold a special place in my heart. Whether it’s a connection with my best friend or the memories attached to the book. These books are cozy to be because I can curl up with any one of them, retreat into my own world, and get lost in the literature.

• The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles) by Patrick Rothfuss
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
• Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
• The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

---

Shows

These TV shows are ones that I can binge over and over. For instance, I can turn on Supernatural at any time and never get bored. Despite seeing every episode at least 10 times. These shows are cozy to me because I can sit on my couch or lay in bed and lose days to binge-watching them.

• Supernatural
• Gilmore Girls
• Greek
• Red Dwarf
• Numb3rs
• Parks & Recreation
• Scandal
• The Vampire Diaries
• Mystery Science Theatre 3000
• Futurama

What books or television shows bring you comfort?

Book Regrets

Today, I’m going to discuss books I wish I never read. Some of these books I wish I didn’t read because I hated them. While others have different reasons. Here are the top seven books (in no particular order) that I regret reading with a short explanation of why. Also, I’m going to link my full review if applicable so you can get a more in depth idea about my thoughts on each book.

---

Twilight Tenth Anniversary/Life and Death Dual Edition by Stephanie Meyer 

• First, I want to start by saying that I was a total Twilight Fangirl in high school when the first book came out. My love affair with this series continued until I met Stephanie Meyer on her Eclipse book tour. She was rude to the small group of us who showed up and complained loudly to the staff about “how small and underwhelming” the crowd was. So, I told myself I would never buy another one of her books. This 10th Anniversary Edition was gifted to me, so I thought I’d give it a shot because everyone deserves a second chance. I was very disappointed in this read. The main characters are boring and when given a chance to re-vamp things, Meyer fell short.

The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

• This book is slow and painful at times. But! It does have an interesting concept. I regret reading this book because it’s better to skim. There are so many details that are not necessary to the overall plot line. I skimmed the last third of the book and still picked up all the important pieces of the book.

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

• I rated this book well when I read it. But, looking back, I wish I didn’t read this book. I picked this book up solely because it’s part of a bigger DC Icons series and I’m more excited about the works the other authors wrote. I think this book was just a filler for me, or maybe I didn’t want to leave a book in the series out. It’s genuinely a good book objectively, though.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

• I do not regret reading this book for the reason most people do. I am not mad about reading this book. It’s a filler novella. I regret reading the book because now I am too impatient for the spin-off series.

The Wild by K Webster

• This book was a TRAINWRECK that I cannot believe I got consumed by. I regret reading this book because it was a waste of time. I heard that there was a controversy surrounding it because the theme is taboo. It’s not dark like I was promised, it’s just weird and incest-y.

The Missing/Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann 

• I regret reading this book because of the time it took me to get through. While to story itself is relatively short, it took me over six hours to get through. I had to map out all of the characters and annotate each important event because the back and forth style of writing was confusing. If I had known that I would take three times the time needed to finish this book and walk away frustrated, I would not have picked up this book.

After You by Jojo Moyes

• Do you ever feel like sequels fall short of the original? I feel like I could have just ended my journey with Lou at the end of Me Before You. But the first book was so emotional and tore me apart that I wanted to continue on and see what happened to Lou and everything surrounding the pieces of Will’s life. I regret reading this book because it took me three tries to get through. I set down this book and walked away from it. But I was promised it got better, so I tried. I think I would have been more content just imagining what happened to Lou instead of finding out and being disappointed.

Perpetual Fangirl participated in this post, so make sure to check out her list and follow her blog.

What book regrets do you have?

Witchy Reads

When I think October and fall, I think of witches and mischief. I love reading books about all things supernatural, so books about witches are things I like reaching for. When thinking of a list to compile, I tried to pull books from different genres so that you can find a witchy book that appeals to you.

1. The Bone Witch by Rea Chupeci: Tea accidentally resurrects her brother form the dead. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. Bone Witches generally serve to protect the kingdom from monsters that periodically rise from the dead and wreak havoc. These Witches are rare and Tea must study hard to harness a power within that she never knew she had.
2. The Crucible by Arthur Miller: This book is about the Salem Witch Trials and Miller’s take on communist hysteria. The focus of the story is John Proctor’s struggle to redeem himself from the horrible guilt he has suffered since committing adultery with Abigail.
3. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison: Rachel Morgan, an officer for the supernatural organization, Inderland Security, (I.S.) and finds herself on the run after she quits her job and a hit is put out on her life.
4. The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry: This book is broken up into 3 parts. Part one focuses on the details of the past—who are the Goddesses, who is Callie, who is Rose, what do all of these characters have in common. Part two fills in more gaps and focuses on Rose and Callie. Part three follows Callie and the town of Salem in the aftermath. here is a lot of back and forth focusing on present day, what happened in 1989, and the witch trials of 1692.
5. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman: This book is a fantasy/comedy about the north of the son of Satan, and the coming of the end of times. Keep in mind that this is a light-hearted story about the end of the world and how human folly can ruin the plans of God and the Devil
6. Pratical Magic and The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic Series) by Alice Hoffman: For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man. Raised by their aunts and shunned by their classmates for being witches, sisters Gillian and Sally struggled to find their own versions of happiness. Now, Sally has two daughters of her own and has succeeded in building a life for herself removed from the aunts, from magic, the stares and gossip, and the condemnation. Gillian is reckless and wild, impulsive, and unlucky in love. She decides to head home, dragging her past with her.
7. The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith: This story follows the character of Cassie Blake as she is initiated into a “Circle” of six other teenage witches and the danger that ensues when they accidentally unleash a dark force upon their town. Matters are further complicated when Cassie finds herself in a love triangle that threatens to tear the Circle apart
8. Stardust by Neil Gaiman: This is a magical story that follows Tristan Thorne in his quest to track down, retrieve, and bring to his love a star that has fallen into the Fearie Realm outside the town of Wall. Tristan comes face to face with trouble, including a witch who is looking for the star in an attempt to use the star in order to regain her own youth.
9. Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by Various Authors: This is a collection of stories featuring tales of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure—and to kill.
10. Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson: Mila Flores loses her best friend and her whole world is ripped open. Everyone is saying Riley committed suicide, but Mila knows her best friend better than that. Riley would never commit suicide. It is also strange that two popular mean girls committed suicide in the same week. Mila sets out to prove that her best friend was not at fault and an investigation should be opened. Before Riley died, her and Mila dabbled in witchcraft. Shortly after Riley’s death, some mysterious book arrives with spells from the occult. It’s the kind of witchcraft the girls have never engaged in, but Mila takes it as a sign. She decides to resurrect her best friend and discover the cause of the three gruesome deaths.
11. Uprooted by Naomi Novik: Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. er people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
12. Witchborn by Nicholas Bowling: Bowling laces magic and history together with an unexpected but wicked undercurrent of darkness. Witchborn is a story of powerful witches as well as deadly magic and is without a doubt a really highly entertaining fun read.
13. Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz: he three Beauchamp women–Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid–live in North Hampton. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret–they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret.

What other books would you suggest?