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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
☃️ Freebee: Favorite Book Quotes❄️
For the freebee this week, I decided to do some of my favorite bookish quotes that I love.
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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Unlikable Characters that I Love
Here are some of my favorite unlikeable characters that I cannot help but love.
1. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- I adore Mr. Darcy so much. His and Lizzie’s romance is one of my favorites from all of literature. Hate to love romances are some of my absolute favorites.
2. Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling- Draco is a character that I wish would have had more of a redemption at the end of the series. Snape gets one but Draco really does not.
3. Cersei Lannister from The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin- Cersei is literally one of the first characters that I thought about for this category. I love her in the books and the tv show. She is such a fun character to follow.
4. Nac Mac Feegle or The Wee Free Men from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett- A lot of people do not like the Nac Mac Feegle from the Discworld series but I love every time they show up. They’re so funny and I love the trouble that they get up to. I also enjoy how loyal they are to Tiffany.
5. Jamie from The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- Jaime is one of the reasons that I loved this book as much as I did. I love how grumpy he is throughout the whole book but also how much he loves the girls. His relationship with Mika was one of my favorites.
6. Wallace from Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune- Wallace was so unlikeable for a good portion of this book and I just loved him.
7. Groo from the Groo the Wanderer series by Sergio Aragonés- Groo is an unlikeable character within his own world because of all the trouble that he causes for everyone around him. I love how upset and worried people get when they just see Groo walking towards them. It’s so funny.
8. Red from The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer- Red is unlikeable when she is first introduced in the series in the first book, The Wishing Spell, but she grows on you as the series continues. I loved Red throughout the entire series. She was such a fun character, who really cared for and loved her friends.
9. Alyce from the Malice duology by Heather Walter- Alyce is a complicated character that dealt with a lot of hardships because of her family and her type of magic. She is a unlikeable character especially in the second book of the series. I love how Heather took Alyce’s story and made her a “grey character.” This series is a wonderful take on the Sleeping Beauty story from the “villain’s” perspective.
10. Amy from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Amy is not a likeable character for a good portion of Little Women but I loved her from the beginning. She is the youngest of the March sisters and that is very obvious in her characterization. As she grows up though, she learns and grows as a character. I cannot say that I loved all of her decisions but I liked seeing her growth throughout the entire book.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Fantasy Places in Books that I would like to Vacation (instead of Books I Read on Vacation)
I decided to do the fantasy places in books that I would like to take a vacation in instead of books I read on vacation. I don't really go on vacation too often. The original prompt was submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer.
1. The Discworld from The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett-
4. The Shire from The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien-
I would love to be able to vacation in The Shire and in other parts of Middle Earth, depending on the time period. The Shire would be the best, though, because of how peaceful and calm it all is. I could imagine staying in a Hobbit hole and just enjoying a peaceful filled day with Bilbo Baggins. Also, I would like to see Rivendell and the elves.
5. Santorini, Greece from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares-
8. Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling-
Hogwarts is another fantasy place that I would love to be able to go to. Especially, at Christmastime. It would be magical (sorry for the pun) but really it would be. Harry Potter will always be one of my favorite series no matter what. The Wizarding World is one that I love with all my heart.
9. Oz from the Oz series by L. Frank Baum-
10. Grimmless from my own series The Chronicles of Grimmless-
This one is kind of a cheat because these books have not been published yet but I’m working on publishing them. I could not create a list of fantasy worlds that I wanted to vacation in without including the one that I created myself. It has been my dream ever since I first read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke back in ninth grade, to travel into my own written world. I believe that most fantasy writers probably would enjoy being able to see their own works come alive around them. I would love be able to walk down the streets of my kingdoms and meet my characters. Go to eat at the troll family restaurant with the gang. Ride on the back of a Laughing Ancient. Just to be able to spend even a day in Grimmless would be a dream.
Original Tag- The Book Pusher
1. What is your fantasy origin story? (How you came to read your first fantasy novel)
🐲 I grew up reading the Harry Potter series and The Chronicles of Narnia series. Also, Disney's Wonderful World of Knowledge Volume 10: Myths and Legends was a favorite book of mine that got me to fall in love with Greek Mythology and King Arthur. I became obsessed with anything dealing with those topics and still am to this day. I also have always loved the Disney movies, many of which are based on famous fantasy stories. This began my love of fairy tales which eventually became a love for fairy tale retellings.
2. If you could be the hero/heroine in a fantasy novel, who would be the author and what’s one trope you’d insist be in the story?
🧙♂️ If he were still alive, I'd love to be in a fantasy novel written by Terry Pratchett.
🧙♀️ Trope- For the trope, I would love to have a quest fantasy.
3. What is a fantasy novel you’ve read this year, that you want more people to read?
🗡️ Any of the books from the Discworld series that I have read this year and the ones from the years before.
4. What is your favorite fantasy subgenre? What subgenre have you not read much from?
🧚 Favorite subgenre of fantasy- Fairy tale retelling and Epic Fantasy
🧚♀️ Subgenre haven’t read much of- Grimdark
5. Who is one of your auto-buy fantasy authors?
🧹 Chris Colfer, Neil Gaiman, Madeline Miller, Margaret Rogerson, Natalie Haynes, and Rick Riordan.
6. How do you typically find fantasy recommendations? (Goodreads, Youtube, Podcasts, Instagram..)
🐲 Goodreads, The Library of Allenxandria, and Merphy Napier
7. What is an upcoming fantasy release you’re excited for?
🧙♀️ Young Adult Fantasy Release- At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler
🧙♂️ Adult Fantasy Release- Stone Blind: Medusa’s Story by Natalie Haynes
8. What is one misconception about fantasy you would like to lay to rest?
🗡️ That it is not great literature. I cannot tell you how often I have heard English majors say that fantasy was not proper literature. It's just ridiculous. First of all, let people read what they like. Second of all, I don't think these people have read great fantasy stories. There are so many amazing examples that just stand out even above some of the classics that they talk about all the time. I just think that you should let people read what they would like to, and it should not bother you what they enjoy. Just because some don't, it does not mean that it is not great literature.
9. If someone had never read fantasy before and asked you to recommend the first 3 books that come to mind as places to start, what would those recommendations be?
🧚 Younger Readers- I decided to pick three novels that start some of my favorite middle-grade series. Each would be a great book for readers wanting to read fantasy for the first time and are some of the best middle-grade books I have read.
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer- The first book of my favorite series.
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Crowell
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
🧚♀️ Older Readers- Here are some of the best fantasy books that I have ever read that I would recommend highly. I put Wyrd Sisters for the Discworld series because it is one of the best of the series. Truthfully, I would recommend most of the books in the Discworld series.
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- My favorite book of all time.
Reviews Week 27
June 4th-10th
Book 73: The Land of Stories:
The Enchantress Returns
By Chris Colfer
Read on July 4th
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Book 74: The Land of Stories:
A Grimm Warning
By Chris Colfer
Read on July 5th-6th
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Book 75: The Land of Stories:
Beyond the Kingdoms
By Chris Colfer
Read on July 6th-7th
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Book 76: The Land of Stories:
An Author's Odyssey
By Chris Colfer
Read on July 7th-8th
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Book 77: The Land of Stories:
Worlds Collide
By Chris Colfer
Read on July 8th
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Book 78: Thor & Loki: Double Trouble
By Mariko Tamaki
Read on July 9th
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This was a fun story following a younger Thor and Loki. I love Loki’s antics, and this one had a lot of that and just his mischievous self.
Book 79: Lore Olympus: Volume 2
By Rachel Smythe
Read on July 9th
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Book 80: Daughters of Sparta
By Claire Heywood
Read on July 9th-10th
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I liked this look into the two princesses of Sparta: Klytemnestra and Helen. The trend that is going on of putting the women of the Greek myths as protagonists of their own stories is excellent! This book was not as enjoyable for me as some of the others I have read, but I really liked following Klytemnestra and Helen for most of this book. They were both characters whose stories I knew very well already, but the voices they were given were beautiful, and their story in this book was heartbreaking at times.
I will definitely be picking up Claire Heywood's next book.
Reviews Week 26
June 27th- July 3rd
Book 70: Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo
Read June 23rd- 30th
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I love the musical version of Les Misérables and have wanted to read this novel for a long time. Now, I can say that I have, and it was one of the most heartbreaking and emotional books I have ever read. Also, the longest by far.
Going into this book, I knew the basic story because of the musical. It's a story following the character Jean Valjean throughout a good portion of his life. He is an escaped convict, just trying to make something out of his life and live it. All because he stole a loaf of bread to help feed his sister and her children. It follows him and his plight as he keeps getting under the threat of getting arrested again. We also follow the young mother Fantine, who will do anything to give her daughter a life that is better than her own and the promise that Jean Valjean makes to this poor woman.
This book was challenging, not because of the length or wording, but because of the topic and tone. It's haunting and just depressing to read. We see how the poor lived in the early 19th century in Paris, and it was just a terrible situation. Hugo does not stray away from the hard topics at all, and he makes you feel these people's every pain and misery in their lives. It's hard to read at times, especially the scenes with Fantine. She's such a tragic character.
The musical is my favorite musical of all time, and I went into this book with very high expectations because of that. It did not disappoint in the slightest. This has become a classic story for a reason. I will say though, that there were a couple times throughout the book that Hugo went into a topic, and it lost my interest a bit. So that affected my enjoyment of the book a bit but not that much.
It's a remarkable book that makes you feel so much for these characters that you come across.
I'm going to end the review with lyrics from my favorite song from the musical that I could not help but sing while reading along with the book.
"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"
Book 71: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer
Read July 3rd
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This is my eleventh time reading this book.
What really drew me to this series at the beginning, was how Chris expanded on the fairy tales. I loved the Prologue of the book and just wanted to read more and more. The characters are what kept me reading. I enjoyed the dynamic between each of them Now, ten years later I can honestly say that I adore falling back into this book every single time. This is a series that I reread every year. It is my absolute favorite that I adore with all my heart.
Book 72: Lark and the Wild Hunt
by Jennifer Adam
Read July 2nd- 3rd
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I have been a big fan of fae stories since I read my first one in high school, especially those that deal with different fae for each season. When I read the description for this book, it drew me in, and I knew that I had to read it.
Lark's adventure in this story takes its time, which I enjoyed thoroughly. The reader gets to know Lark, her family, and her village throughout the story. We learn about their customs and how they were created with the fae. This was through great descriptions, the interactions of the town, and also just their way of speaking. I loved the lines like "rust and ruin" that they would say. It made the world feel more grounded. Fantasy worlds with their own way of talking and world concepts are always my favorites. We also get to know the fae world as a whole, which was one of this novel's best parts. I enjoyed the aspects of that, but I will not spoil that here.
The story is from Lark's perspective, and she was the perfect protagonist for this story. I am glad middle-grade readers will get to read a story from such a strong female character like Lark. She works hard to save her siblings throughout the story and help her family. Also, she's not perfect and makes mistakes, which I'm always glad to see. Her brother's line "one chance" was beautiful and a great message for young and older readers.
The Wild Hunt and the celebrations at the start of the different seasons were other aspects of the book that stood out. The descriptions in these parts were standouts in the book. I loved the market scene when Lark finally got to go for the first time. The thrill of that for her and how wild it all was because of everything that has changed because of what is happening with the faes and their world. I like how we got to see the end of the wild hunt at the beginning of the book and how that was a catalyst for the rest of the plot. Then, when we finally see another one, we have the context of how they are supposed to go and also the worry of what will happen with it.
Overall, I believe this was a great fantasy book with a strong female protagonist, a rich fantasy world that draws you in, and a story that has you feeling for the characters. Great for younger and older readers alike.
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Something that has always been just as important to me as my love of books, is my love of music. Probably more so, if I'm being honest. This was made based on questions that I found in 30-day music challenges and some that I made up myself. Then, I made the book parts of the questions fit with the song parts. Each of the questions has my own tagline that I started them with. I had a hard time narrowing some of these down to just one song, so I just had two or more for some of them.
If you saw my writing playlist you would know why this was hard. At the moment that is at about 31 hours of music and I'm constantly adding songs to it. I just love sitting down to write and putting it on shuffle and seeing what begins to play. Spotify is one of my favorite things.
Feel free to do this yourself. I know I had a lot of fun creating and doing each of the prompts.
1.) COLORS EVERYWHERE- A book/song you like with a color in the title:
📖: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston- My overachiever self had to pick the book with three colors in the title.
🎵: "Little Red Corvette" by Prince
2.) LET'S COUNT THEM TOGETHER- A book/song you like with a number in the title:
📖: Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood
🎵: "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" by Meatloaf
3.) AND I AM TELLING YOU... I'M LEAVIN'-Your favorite post-breakup book/song:
📖: The Weight of it All by N. R. Walker
🎵: "Gives You Hell" by All-American Rejects- Can't tell you how many times I rocked out to this after a heartbreak over my teenage years. Wanted to give a lot of guys hell in those years. Haha This and their songs "Dirty Little Secret" and "Move Along" were my jams back in the day. Lol
A more serious one would be "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch- that song breaks my heart every time I hear it. Also, I cannot stop thinking about the Buffy episode that it plays in whenever I hear it. Heartbreaking and beautiful.
4.) GO THERE- A book/song you like with a location in the title:
📖: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
🎵: "Transylvania" by McFly
5.) FORGET YOU- A book/ song that reminds you of someone you'd rather forget:
📖: Honesty by Seth King
🎵: "All Too Well" (Ten-minute version) (Taylor's verison) by Taylor Swift
6.) DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!- A book featuring characters dancing/ song that makes you want to dance:
📖: Twelve Dancing Princesses by The Brothers Grimm
🎵: "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon
7.) LET'S GO ON A ROADTRIP- A road trip book/ A song to drive to:
📖: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
🎵: "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran
8.) ON THE BIG SCREEN- A book that has been turned into a movie/ A song that you like that has been used in a movie:
📖: Stardust by Neil Gaiman - My favorite adaptation and movie.
🎵: "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls from City of Angels
9.) HAPPINESS- A book/ song that makes you happy:
📖: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
🎵: "Star Girl" by McFly- I will forever adore this song. McFly is one of my favorite bands of all time. Galaxy Defender Forever!
10.) PLAY IT AGAIN- A book/ song you never get tired of:
📖: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer
🎵: Too many to count. One that comes to mind is "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait. This is a favorite song of my family, and I will never get sick of it.
"Holy Ground" by Taylor Swift
11.) TEARJERKER- A book/ song that makes you cry:
📖: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
🎵: "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion- this song is absolutely stunning.
12.) GEM FROM THE 2000s- A book you read in your preteen years/ A song from your preteen years:
📖: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
🎵: "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride
"Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews
"When I Think of Angels" by Jamie O'Neal
"Stays in Mexico" by Toby Keith- really anything by Toby from those years.
"Breathe" by Faith Hill
"I Go Back" by Kenny Chesney
"Mr. Mom" by Lonestar
"If You're Going Through Hell" by Rodney Atkins
And I could go on and on with the country music from that time period. I have so many great memories of listening to these songs with family over the years. Some of the best memories!
13.) DECADES- A book/song you like from the 60s/ 70s/ 80s/90s/00s/10s/20s (You can pick one or do them all):
📖: 1960s: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton- 1967
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1970s: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- 1979
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1980s: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- 1986
1990s: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling-1999
2000s: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke-2003
2010s: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan- 2012
2020s: A Tale of Sorcery... by Chris Colfer- 2021
🎵: 1960s: "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond- 1969
1970s: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen- 1975
1980s: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston-1987
1990s: "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" by Shania Twain- 1997
2000s: "Sugar, We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy- 2005
2010s: "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn- 2010
2020s: "Come to Your Senses" by Alexandra Shipp and Vanessa Hudgens from tick, tick... BOOM!- 2021
14.) WEDDING MARCH- A book about characters getting married or that has a wedding/ A song you'd like to be played at your wedding:
📖: My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Broad Ashton, and Jodi Meadows- One of my favorite relationships in YA.
🎵: "Everlasting Love" by Carl Carlton- Also, the U2 and the Michael Ball versions are great too. I have such a hard time picking between all three of them.
15.) OVER AND OVER IT REPEATS ON- A retelling/ A song you like that's a cover by another artist:
📖: Lava Red, Feather Blue by Molly Ringle- LGBT retelling of Sleeping Beauty
🎵: "Sunset Boulevard" sung by Michael Ball from the musical Sunset Boulevard- damn this version is immaculate. I love Michael's covers of a lot of songs.
16.) YOU'RE THE NEW CLASSIC- A classic/ A song that's a classic favorite:
📖: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- a book that I should have read years ago. One of my favorites of all time. Just beautiful in every single way.
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🎵: "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman- this song will always be a favorite. I could listen to it a million times.
17.) IT TAKES TWO- A book that's by two authors/ A song you'd sing A duet with someone on karaoke:
📖: Good Omens by Terry Pritchett and Neil Gaiman
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🎵: "Don't go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee
18.) THE YEAR WAS... 1993- A book/song from the year you were born:
📖: The Giver by Lois Lowry
🎵: "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors
19.) THAT'S LIFE- A book/ song that makes you think about life:
📖: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
🎵: "Desperado" by Eagles
"Visting Hours" by Ed Sheeran
20.) GIVE ME THE MEANING- A book/ song that has many meanings for you:
📖: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram- One of the best books that I have ever read in my life. It's so deeply powerful, touching, and a worthwhile read. "It's okay not to be okay."
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🎵: "Someone to You" by BANNERS
21. NAMES SPEAK VOLUMES- A book/ song that you like with a person's name in the title:
📖: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
🎵: "Peter Pan" by Kelsea Ballerini
22. A STEP FORWARD- A book/ song that moves you forward:
📖: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
🎵: "This is Me" by Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman
23.) WHEN THE FIRST IS THE BEST- A book you love that's the start of a series/ A song you love that's the opening track of an album:
📖: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien- Definitely, my favorite of the series but I do really love The Two Towers and Return of the King.
🎵: "Beer Never Broke My Heart" by Luke Combs
24.) READ/ LISTEN TO THIS NOW- A book that you think everyone should read/ A song that you think everyone should listen to:
📖: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
🎵: "How You Doing Up There" by Scotty McCreery- One of my favorites of his.
25.) GOODBYE IS THE HARDEST WORD- A book/ song you like by an artist no longer alive:
📖: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
🎵: "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley- Elvis was my grandmother's favorite singer of all time. Every time I hear one of his songs, especially this one, I think of her.
26.) I LOVE THEIR LOVE- A book/ song that makes you want to fall in love:
📖: Caught Running by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux and Dearest Milton James by N. R. Walker
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🎵: "Come What May" sung by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman from Moulin Rouge- Quite possibly the most beautiful song that I have ever heard. Also, one of the best movie musicals ever. Ewan is so damn good in it.
27. HEARTBREAKER- A book/ song that breaks your heart:
📖: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
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🎵: "Who Knew" by Pink
28. BEAUTIFUL WORDS- A book by an author whose writing you love/ A song by an artist whose voice you love:
📖: Circe by Madeline Miller
🎵: "Can't Stop Loving You" by Phil Collins
29.) CHILDHOOD FAVORITE- A book/ A song you remember from your childhood:
📖: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
🎵: "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins
30.) PLAY IT SO LOUD SO THE WORLD CAN HEAR ITS AWESOMENESS!- An audiobook you want everyone to listen to/ A song you always want to play loud:
📖: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- This is a book that I believe everyone should read and also listen to. It is a stunning experience both ways and I highly recommend it. I have read this book twice, once physically and the second time through the audiobook (read by Jason Issacs). It hit me even harder the second time around, after losing my Gram. This is one of the books that has had me sobbing the most and I believe it is a book that anyone could get something out of. It'll always be a favorite.
🎵: "Do You Hear the People Sing" from Les Misérables- This is my favorite song from my favorite musical. Everytime I listen to it, I just want to blast it.
31.) LOVE IS LOVE- A LGBT book that you love/ A LGBT song that you love:
📖: Simon vs. the Homeo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli- This book meant the world to me when I originally read it. I love Blue and Simon's relationship so much. It's just a beautiful story that draws you in. I'm due for a reread pretty soon.
🎵: So, I obviously had to have a bunch for this one:
"Say You Love Me" by Steve Grand
"Boys Like Boys" and "Young Love" by Eli Lieb
"If They Only Knew" by Alfie Arcuri
"Really Don't Care" by Demi Lovato- I rock out to this every time I hear it. God, I love it so damn much.