Follow Friday 10/31:What books would you give to newbies in your favorite genre?

FF is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. 

This week's questions is: What books would you give to newbies in your favorite genre?

Welllll, I hate to be cliche here, but I would probably have to recommend The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, to ease into contemporary. I know everyone has probably already read it, but it is definitely for good reason! If I had to recommend a different one, it would be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I feel like it's really hard to not like this book! It is relatable to most people who read it and it's super entertaining. 

Spooky Spotlight: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ranson Riggs

This is a great read to get in the Halloween spirit! The way this book is put together is so beautiful and creepy! Let me know what you thought of it! Happy Halloween!

Disclaimer: The content of these images do not belong to me in any way, shape, or form. The content belongs to Ransom Riggs and Quirk Books. If there is any problem or conflict relating to these images, contact me and I will take them down immediately.

Local Library Sale

                                                              Happy almost Halloween!
A local library was having a huge book sale all weekend and on the last day you could fill a grocery bag with books for $1. So I went a bit crazy. We got there about 10 minutes before they were shutting down, so we didn't have very much time to look, and we ended up just grabbing a bunch of random books to fill the bag. I ended up getting all of these for 50 cents because I split the bag with someone else. I haven't gotten a chance to read any of them yet, so I don't really know much about any of the books. Let me know if you have read or heard of any of these! I love to hear your opinions!


1. Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis
I remember watching a movie about this case in my AP Government class in my junior year of high school, so I was really interested when I saw this on the table. I sort of know the backstory of the case, so I'm really interested in learning a bit more. Plus, I absolutely love the look of the book! I'm pretty sure it said it was published in 1964.

2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I actually borrowed this book from a friend a year ago, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I started it and only got about 20 pages in before I put it down. I'm happy to have my own copy because I've heard so many great things about this book. Also, I can finally return my borrowed copy!

3. Sarah by Marek Halter

I'm not going to lie here. I only picked up this book because the title is my name. From reading the description, I think it's about a privileged woman who runs away from an arranged marriage and meets a man, Abram. Later, she returns to her home and faces her future, and years later the man she met when she ran away finds her. Basically, it follows Sarah and Abram's story. I don't know much about this book, but hopefully it's a good read.

4. Love and Summer by William Trevor

I honestly have no idea what this book is about. I just picked it up for the pretty cover I think it's a romance that takes places in Ireland. Sounds good to me.

5.  The Far Side of the World by Patrick O'Brien

Once again, no idea what this is about. Apparently it's a national bestseller and is a major motion picture. I had no idea. From just reading the back, I guess it's about a captain in a navy. Hmm. Not sure if I'll be a fan of this one, but I'll have to read it to find out!

6. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

I think this book is about a First Lady, and her life in the White House. I think it follows her before she met her husband and then follows her into her time as the First Lady. Sounds interesting enough for me! I love reading about Jackie Kennedy, and all her struggles, so I hope I'll like this one!

7. The Dog Crisis by Iris Nowell

I just like dogs, and I picked this up right as I was about to leave. I wanted to fill my bag all the way, so I just grabbed it. If I'm being honest, I probably won't read this one. Is that bad? Oh well.

Top Ten Tuesday 10/28

This is my first time doing a Top Ten Tuesday, so sorry if it doesn't go exactly as planned! 

Top Ten Tuesday is originally from The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks theme is Top Ten books or movies to get in the Halloween spirit. Hopefully I can come up with ten, because I'm not a fan of the horror genre. I scare very easily! It's embarrassing. 

1. Hocus Pocus  I've been watching this movie every October for years now. I remember when it used to terrify me as a little kid, but now I absolutely love it. It wouldn't be October or Halloween without it! Now that I've moved off to college, hopefully I'll get a chance to watch it!

2. The Diviners by Libba Bray   This book scared me so much when I read it a few months ago. Warning: If you scare easily, do not read this book at night when everyone else in your house is asleep. You will not be able to fall asleep that night, and this book will have you jumping at the slightest sound. The book is absolutely fantastic, though! I love the time period and the paranormal elements. The ghost serial killer gave me a few nightmares, though, so watch out.

3. Twitches This one is a bit embarrassing, but I used to watch the Disney Twitches movies all the time. I don't have much to say about that. I used to think they were so great, but now I question what I was thinking. Not that that keeps me from watching them if I catch them on TV.

4. Harry Potter This is pretty self explanatory. When I think of Harry Potter, I think of Halloween and Christmas. They're so festive, and great to read anytime.

5. The Shining Like I said earlier, I am not a huge fan of the horror genre. I just recently saw this movie since I got college, and I am definitely glad I saw it in a group, otherwise I don't think I could have done it. The music really got to me. Everything was so spooky! Even though it scared the crud out of me, it's a staple in the horror genre, or really any genre.

6. Silence of the Lambs  I also just recently watched this one, and it was terrifying, but I also really liked it. The concept is great and I think it sets the perfect suspenseful tone for Halloween.

7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern   I absolutely fell in love with this book. The writing was so beautiful and the setting the author created was so magical and wonderful. It made me want to visit the circus. The magical quality of this book definitely makes it a great read for Halloween.

8. Halloweentown  I can't believe I almost forgot about the Halloweentown movies! Those are probably more important than Hocus Pocus. These movies should definitely be higher on my list because they were a major staple in my childhood. Even if they're not that great of movies, I will still always love them. And watch them. No matter how bad they are.

9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Lani Taylor  I am sort of running out of options for this list, but I have no problem sticking this trilogy in here. These books have some of the best writing I've ever read. It is absolutely beautiful. This trilogy has angels and demons and a completely great love story. I have yet to read the final book, but I can't wait! Check this series out for sure if you haven't already.

10. Nightmare Before Christmas It's been a while since I've seen this movie, but I remember it completely freaking me out as a kid. I would go over to my neighbor's house to watch it. I think it's a definite watch when it comes to Halloween time.

I also really love the movie Donnie Darko. It really twists with your head, perfect for Halloween!

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of my list! Anything important you think I've left out?

Series Review: Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout (including Beginnings, Consequences, and Opposition)

I originally started this series a few years ago, before the new editions were released. If I'm being completely honest, I don't understand in the slightest why they changed the covers and combined books. I guess to make more money? In my opinion, the new covers aren't an improvement from the old ones. Maybe that's just because I'm not a fan of real people on books. Just can't stand it!

The first of the new bind-ups, Beginnings, includes the first two books: Obsidian and Onyx. The second, Consequences, includes Opal and Origin. The third and final book is titled Opposition and it includes the prequel to the series, Shadows. I haven't read the prequel, as I'm not really as interested in the characters it follows, so I don't feel a huge motivation to read it.

Let me start off by saying that this series is fun. It's not a literary masterpiece, but it is action-packed and entertaining, which is exactly what I hoped for when I picked up the first book. The series follows he main protagonist, a teenaged girl named Katy, who moves to a new town and faces things she never thought she could believe. Aliens. And Daemon Black. I haven't really read many Alien books, besides The Fifth Wave, so I didn't really know what to expect.

The series does a great job at developing characters, even if some of them may be over the top and hard to believe.  The dialogue is so sassy and hilarious, especially in the first book. It will make you laugh out loud and cheer for the stubborn main character and her love interest, Daemon. His sassiness made me laugh out loud at times. Armentrout did a great job of writing a likable and relatable main character, someone who most of her readers can connect with. I loved her snarkiness and snappy come-backs. Also, the romance in the series, however cheesy, is cute, and definitely made me want to keep reading. If you are going into this book hoping for a sci-fy, completely nil of romance, this book may not be for you. The romance in this story is the main driving force for the series.

Overall, I completely loved the series, and it did exactly what I wanted it to. Sure, at times the cheese was unbearable, but what can you expect from a romance book about aliens. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a fun and quick read. I've read some of Armentrout's other books, and I liked them a lot, so I would check some of those out to. She gets material out so quickly, I don't understand how she does it! 

If you've read any of the books, let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading!

I'd probably give the series 4 stars overall because it kept me thouroughly entertained, even if the writing wasn't completely genius. I absolutely loved the series, even if it was a guilty pleasure. Hope you enjoyed the review! 

Bloglovin'

                                                 Follow my blog with Bloglovin
I have decided to make Bloglovin' my main source of following blogs, and it would make me very happy if you decided to follow mine! Thank you so much!

Follow Friday 10/16 What song do you keep listening to?

Feature & Follow is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where each host will have their own Feature blog to show off more new blogs!

I've never done this before, so I'm not sure if I will get everything right. I'll try my best!

The song that I can't stop listening to this week is called Keep Falling by Fink. It's so relaxing and great. I love listening to it on the way to class.

What I'm Reading

              I am currently in the middle of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I'm around page 100, and so far I am loving it! It's taking me awhile to get through because I haven't had time to just sit down a read for a long period of time. I've been reading this book in short little spurts. The one good things about that is the fact that this is the perfect book for it. The chapters are super duper short and they switch back and forth between the two main characters. Everything is very easy to follow, despite the fact that I've been picking this book up pretty sporadically.
             The story follows a blind girl named Marie Laure, who lives in Paris, and a young German boy named Werner. The story is historical fiction, taking place around World War II. Somehow, their stories become intertwined and an unlikely bond forms. So far, the writing has been absolutely beautiful, without being dull for a moment. I can't say for sure, but I think I will definitely recommend this book. I'll post a review when I'm finished with it to let you know! Plus, isn't this cover so stunning? Over and out!

Where the Wild Things Are

                                                                                          

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak

Originally Published 1963

 Where the Wild Things Are is a highly acclaimed children's picture book that tells the story of a young boy named Max who escapes into another world, filled with monsters. After a tantrum, he goes to his room and watches in amazement as it transforms into a forest. From there, he voyages to the place where the wild things are. 

       In a short 388 words it's a story of adventure and fun, with a heartwarming ending. With over 19 million copies sold worldwide, the book is an international hit. The illustrations are beautiful and timeless, completely wonderful. The popular story has been remade into an animated short film (1974), an opera, and recently a live-action film (2009). The book was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1964, recognizing it as the year's most distinguished American children's picture book. I recently purchased the 50th anniversary edition, published by Harper Collins, and I can attest to its praise.

       A few years ago, when the movie was first released in theaters, I remember catching the trailer a few times and thinking it looked great. I have not yet watched the movie, but I definitely plan to in the near future! Here's the trailer so you can take a look for yourself. Also, I absolutely love the soundtrack. I have definitely been replaying it over and over again on Spotify. The trailer song is called Wake Up - Arcade Fire. I think it fits the mood completely perfectly. Definitely go check out the book, the first chance you get. It's great for everyone, not just kids!