Birthday Book Tag

So I saw this tag on Amber's blog The Literary Phoenix in October but I wanted to wait for my actual birthday to do it...so it's taken me a very long time to get this post out in a sense. My birthday is in May and this has been sitting in here for like half a year. But I'm finally ready to do this tag!  (I even asked my twin, Eryn, to answer some of these to see the difference of our answers, she doesn't read as much as I do so this will be fun!)

Count your birthday along your bookshelf shelf and then subtract the month.

I was born on the 26th of the month of May (5) so I (and Eryn) got: The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa

If you could spend your birthday with any fictional character, who would it be and why?

Me: I just finished Vampire Diaries and about to start The Originals and I just love Klaus...so him. I feel like he'd spoil me and just treat me right. Also...vampires am I right!?

Eryn: Meredith Grey - because she's perfect and beautiful, and lovely, and wonderful. (I have to let you all know her eyes went like...glazed over with admiration for Grey I only caught part of what she said at first)

Find a book that takes place in the season you were born in.

We were both born in May, springtime, but let's see if she finds a different book then me.
Me: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - I know it takes place over a whole year-ish but there is spring
Eryn: The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

Find a book that is the color of your birthstone.

I LOVE MY BIRTHSTONE! Emeralds so are pretty to me.
Me: Legion by Julie Kagawa - wanted to do a book I've already ready but...haven't read many books with an emerald cover
Eryn: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks - she has a theme also it had grass so close enough

Pick a book set in a time period, world, or country you would like to have been born in.

Me: Reign of the Fallen - to live in that world would be interesting me, I am still enamored by this book.
Eryn: The Help - the 1960's, because of the fashion

Do you have any of the same answers as my sister or I? You can see a very distinct difference between our reading and television choices, which of us are you more like? Also, if you happen to read this and find that you have the same birthday as us...PLEASE LET US KNOW WE LOVE MEETING BIRTHDAY BUDDIES!

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: Iron Warrior, The Hobbit, The Guardian, Legion, The Choice, Reign of the Fallen, The Help, Meredith Grey, Klaus Mikkelson

Goodreads Book Tag

I am stealing this tag from Amber at The Literary Phoenix because I really liked it and I thought it would be fun to look more towards my Goodreads besides the system I put books into.

Now, some of these answers may be different from when you read this to when I have written this, but that's because I go one a lot and update everything at least once a week.

What was the last book you marked as read?

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

What are you currently reading?

I have four books in my currently reading at the moment haha, but three of them are school related. I am reading:

1. Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hémon
2. A Distinct Alien Race by David Vermette
3. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
4. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis.

What was the last book you marked as TBR?

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

What book do you plan to read next?

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. I plan what books I read next with the whiteboard in my room back home and write down like ten books I plan to read and in what order I plan to read them.

Do you use the star rating system?

Yes I do! And like many of us, I wish there was the option to use half stars, or even more stars than five, but I work with what I have!

Are you doing a 2019 reading challenge?

Yes I am. I normally don't set too high a goal for myself because I'm not that fast of a reader like I used to be. My goal this year is 15 books, I have only read 1 so far, and Goodreads is telling me I am 2 books behind schedule. But I currently two of my school books have to be done soon so that will change within the month.

Do you have a Wishlist?

I loved Amber's idea of having a 'To Buy' shelf on her Goodreads (and then added said shelf to my account after). I do have a wishlist on Amazon of the books that I want, but it's also a list mixed with movies and TV show seasons that I would like to own as well.

What book do you plan to buy next?

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh. Other than that I never know what books I plan to buy next. There are always so many choices and I'm bad at making those choices haha. I usually pick what book is next while standing in the bookstore or staring at my wishlist.

Favorite quotes?

This is one of the functions that I don't use that often on Goodreads, but I do have a few here, and you can see that there are a lot of Edgar Allan Poe ones.

Favorite authors?

My favorite authors are Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien, Julie Kagawa (who is the only one featured on my profile), and I think the last time I checked, my most read author was Cassandra Clare (because I do each novella individually) so I guess I should include her here as well. Also, I can't find where that list is again to double check who is second but oh well!

Have you joined any groups?

I am currently in one group, which I joined like...actual years ago. I think I was a sophomore in high school so about seven years ago, and the group hasn't been active in five. It's a Witch and Wizard group called "Witches and Wizards" and it was a roleplaying group. I might look for different groups in the future, any suggestions?

Do you use Goodreads? Have any tips or anything that you think I'd like for it? Just want to be friends? I love friends!

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: my photo of Shadow of the Fox, covers from Goodreads, writing,

10 Characters I’d Switch Places With (Just For A Day)

I saw Amber from The Literary Pheonix do this post, and I thought it would be fun to try myself! (Also check out Amber's posts she posts so many fun things and great reviews)

As a reader, I find myself connecting to characters all the time. But would I ever want to trade places with them for a day? Well, some of them I would, and I'll tell you why!

Odessa

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

One of the first characters I really fell in love with as a person, because she was so close to me. I just want to live in her world and experience the other side once.

Meredy

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

I love the magic of being able to control an animal and work with them, I want the BEAR! I can't wait to see more of them both in Song of the Dead!

Meghan Chase

Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

I think the fact that she has a mix of Iron and Summer glamour is really cool and interesting, but I wouldn't want to get mixed up in all the danger, just a day in the life of the child of Oberon, please.

Gandalf

The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

He doesn't come into contact with the spiders in the books...also I want to do magic.

Wanda/Melanie

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The concept and the underground world always intrigued me. I think it'd be fun to talk to a voice in my head that wasn't just my thoughts too.

Esme Cullen

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Her motherly instinct and family are amazing, also the chance to be a vampire...YES PLEASE!

Clary Fray

Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

I want her ability to make runes that aren't in the book, and I've also always wanted to be a red-head as well.

Effie Trinket

Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Just think of the OUTFITS that I could wear. Also, I definitely like the movie version of Effie slightly more than the book one (because she didn't just vanish) so I want to be both.

Wisteria "Wisty" Allgood

Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson (and others)

As the series that got me into reading, of course, I would pick someone as amazing as Wisty. She can burst into FLAMES and uses a drumstick as a wand. Sooooo, I like her.

Ember Hill

Talon series by Julie Kagawa

One, she is a twin (I forget if she is the younger one or not). Two, I want to shapeshift into a dragon and travel all over the world with Riley.

There are other characters that I'd want to switch places with, but these are the current top ten in my mind. What are yours?

À bientôt!

Photo/GIF creds: all book covers from Goodreads (my canva edit to connect them),

"I Dare You" Book Tag

Bet you can't guess where I got the idea to do this tag! Or maybe you did, because I always do the tags from her blog because I like them so much. You should totally follow Nose Stuck In A Book if you haven't already, she's great and has a lot of bookish content!

The Rules

• You must be honest
• You must answer all of the questions
• You must tag at least 4 people (this one I can't really do but for everyone else go ahead!)

* I tried to answer all of these to the best of my ability, but being at school makes some of these a bit hard!

1 - What book has been on your shelf the longest?

There's so many. And I'm not at home to look at all my books at the moment to actually see the books and figure out which has been there longest. I'll edit when I get home next.

2 - What is your current read, your last read, and the book you'll read next?

Current - Lord of Shadows, Last - Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy, Next - Reign of the
Fallen/Shadow of the Fox.

3 - What book did everyone like, but you hated?

I used to really like them, but now I find John Green books sort of overrated. I want more magic and realistic characters in my stories. It shows sometimes in the books that he doesn't fully understand the characters he's trying to make. At least that's how I see them. Also his books weren't really in my normal genres so maybe that has something to do with it.

4 - What book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?

Half the books on my TBR list honestly. Like the Dark Tower series. I only have the second and third. Might just read a quick synopsis and then watch the movie. I have so many books that I need to read so those will always be at the end until I can find the first one to start it. I also have a few diet books that I probably won't get to, at least not any time soon.

5 - What book are you saving for your retirement?

Any of the books that I haven't read by then/any books that come out by the time I'm retired. I really don't have any books that I'm saving for that time, and only being 21 years old makes that seem like hundreds of years away for me. I might never retire.

6 - Last page -> read it first or wait 'til the end?

I will wait. The only time I will read the last page before reading a book is if I wrote it, or someone is forcing me to/paying me to. That's it. I just want to read, I won't spoil a book for myself. People who read the last page first give me anxiety because YOU'RE RUINING THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF! But to each their own I guess!

7 - Acknowledgement: Waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?

Honestly I love it. I think it's great to read the other people who were there to help create the wonderful book I've just read (normally don't read it if I didn't like the book that much). It's also something personal from the author so I like that aspect as well.

8 - Which book character would you switch places with?

Honestly, with the types of books that I read, I don't know if I'd want to switch places with them. They are always having attempts at their lives or they are charging straight into a battle...which I just could not do. I guess I could say that I'd want to trade places with someone from the Iron Fey series, at least then I could get some cool powers!

9 - Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (place, time, person?)

Thinking about the Hunger Games trilogy makes me think of three separate people. My aunt Rachel - who told me to give the books a chance. My friend Ashley S. - who sat beside me in lunch and watched me read/gave me vague spoiler-ish things that would cause me to read faster. And my friend Ashley B. - who let me come over her house to watch the first movie.

Then Ashley B., Ashley S., and I went together to see the Catching Fire premiere in theaters. It was a stressful night because we didn't buy the tickets until that night and they were almost sold out, but then the theater opened up another screening for the premiere so we were all good.

10 - Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way.

So I've had two different posts about my local library having $10 book sales. You just bring a bag (or take a paper one from them) and fill it with books. Then you pay $10...which is such a deal if you find really good books. Which is what I did a few times.

One time at a one of these book sales I found a 50th edition of the Hobbit. it was gold with green runes on the edges and had a box that it can slide into. I was SHOOK when I saw it there. And it wasn't a library book they had in circulation because it didn't have a tag on it. So I shoved the right into my bag and it still sits on my shelf in my Tolkien section.

11 - Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?

Honestly...no. I don't know many people who want books. Most of the people that I know personally that like books, buy their own books, and I don't know most of the books that they would like that I could give them. That's the problem sometimes with friends who like books, they get them themselves. And the ones that don't like books...well you see the issue there.

12 - Which book has been with you most places?

Most of my books have been with me to a lot of places if I'm currently reading them. I keep them in my bag, even if I don't have the time to read. It's a comfort to me to have a book with me at all times. It all depends on the time of year I am reading in too because I don't go to as many places in the summer as I do in the winter (which I feel is opposite compared to most other people).

13 - Any "Required Reading" you hate in high school that wasn't so bad two years later?

Not any that I've found again two years after but I thought reading the Hobbit in high school was going to be a drag but I ended up loving it and now I'm a Tolkien girl! I also really liked the short stories from Washington Irving that I read in high school. Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow were something that I found intriguing and I remembered the plots easily for class discussions.

14 - Used or brand new?

Both, I'm not picky on the types of books I get as long as it stays together while I read it. I have had books that fall apart in my hands. And while that might show that it's been loved, I also feel that it's a sign that the book wasn't taken care of during the many times it was read.

15 - Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

Nope. Don't think I will, but I might watch the movies off of his books. I mean like the plot is interesting...but I would rather have more fantasy and magic tied into the books that I read.

16 - Have you ever seen a movie that you liked more than the book?

Game of Thrones, just because those are too long to read and I really like the show. I know there's a lot of stuff wrong/controversial but I love Arya and dragons sooooooooooo. I hope that this counts. I can't think of any movies I like more than the book.

17 - Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks included?

No, I mean sometimes the food sounds good, but it doesn't make me hungry. I also don't use cookbooks that often because I'm in college so all I make is pasta and instant mashed potatoes. However, now that I'm typing this I'm getting hungry so I'm going to go eat after this.

18 - Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?

Honestly, anyone on Book Twitter that I know has actual facts behind their reviews/feelings towards books and authors. Also, my friends Seth and Emily because they know the good stuff.

19 - Is there a book out of your comfort zone (outside of your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?

My comfort zone really includes everything except romance and non-fiction. And I really don't read anything outside my comfort zone except for my school-work...and I can't say that there is a lot of those that I liked so much to say that I loved it. I can say that a book I just read for my French World class "Une si longue lettre" was really good. I would suggest anyone who wants to learn more about a different culture/religion to pick this up. There are English translations (and probably other languages) available online.


Agree with me? Probably not.

Photo/Gif creds: Han Solo, Hunger Games books, Arya, Matilda, books, 

Book Blogger Confessions!

So I recently saw this post by Nose Stuck In A Book and wanted to try it out. I love trying new bookish tags. I also like diving deep into my feelings about books, so let's go!

1. Which book, most recently, did you not finish?

I don't fully remember the name of the book but the last book that I did not finish was last year and it just didn't interest me. The summary on the back did, but starting the book I just didn't like it, or the writing style. (I didn't save it in my Goodreads so I can't find it, sorry!)

2. Which book is your guilty pleasure?

I don't feel guilty for reading anything that I own, but I'll just say Twilight because of it's hate. I love the series and you can pry it from my cold, sparkly hands.

3. Which book do you love to hate?

I don't know if I have a book that I love to hate. I think I only read books that I do like, and anything else is just...I don't read it again or just don't talk about it. Maybe Moby Dick and For Whom the Bell Tolls. I read them both and didn't like them.

4. Which book would you throw into the sea?

Anything by Hemingway, I very much dislike him. For Whom the Bell YEETS!
Also Moby Dick, let the whales eat it.

5. Which book have you read the most?

I have three books that I have read twice (I have so many books that I don't have time to read some more than twice). They are Witch & Wizard by James Patterson, The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

6. Which book would you hate to receive as a present?

I liked him at first, but none of John Green's other books interest me, or the same with James Patterson. Currently I only really love the Witch & Wizard series by him (and other authors) and have all of those books on my shelves.

7. Which book could you not live without?

Oh, I can't even tell you what book this would be. All my Julie Kagawa and Tolkien books have to stay. I need to keep those. I guess if I had to chose which books to keep I'd do those.

8. Which book made you the angriest?

The angriest? I don't think I've ever been mad at a book, maybe disappointed if the book wasn't that great if it had a lot of hype.

NO WAIT! It was Allegiant. Because of all the damn serums this world had, they don't have a resurrection one! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? #RIPTris

9. Which book made you cry the most?

The Host by Stephanie Meyer. It was only towards the end though when I thought Wanda was gone. I was so sad I was tearing up at my aunt's house. I keep hearing rumors that there will be more of the Host series but so far nothing. @ Meyer: PLEASE I WAIT

10. Which book cover do you hate the most?

I'd have to say that the cover that I hate the most is my cover for "Witch & Wizard: The Kiss" because it's different from the other four books. The first three and the fifth one (in my collection) have a letter on fire, and The Kiss has a face, which is supposed to be Wisty. For a while I couldn't even find a cover with a 'K' on fire and then like two years later it appeared, and only in paperback so it would mess up my book type if I got it unless i repurchase the WHOLE series...

So, those are my book confessions. I guess I haven't read too many books that I dislike or hate, but I have read some, haha. I still have more books to read this year, and there will never be a shortage of books to read.

If you also want to do this Book Confessions let me know! I'd love to read yours. Also let me know below if you agree or disagree with any of my confessions. It's always great if others agree with you.

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: Twilight, The Iron King, W&W covers, The Host, 

Tolkien Reading Order??

What's this?  I've never heard of an order to read Tolkien books other than The Hobbit > Lord of the Ring: Fellowship of the Ring > LOTR: The Twin Towers > LOTR: The Return of the King.  What's this craziness all about?

I was recently told while reading Tolkien's 'The Silmarillion' that I should have read the entire LOTR trilogy first (I have only read The Hobbit before The Silmarillion).

What I found on the Tolkien Society website, was that there is really no set order.  It goes with age, preference, and they one give lists of books in the order of publishing date. (this is not the full list, but it is from the smallest list I took two of them off of the end)

• The Hobbit
• The Lord of the Rings
• Tales from the Perilous Realm [mainly short stories with only nominal Middle-earth content]
• The Silmarillion
• Unfinished Tales
• The History of Middle-earth series
• The Children of Húrin

So, by this list, I went out of order, but in the second, much larger list on the website, I was even more out of order.  What I pick up from this list is that really, there is no order to read the books, except for the LOTR trilogy.  Those you read in order, but the rest of the books is mainly fair game to a point.  Having found this new list, or published dates, I now know that there is just about as many books as I thought Tolkien had written as well.

As I found other books, they really only included a small few of his stories.  Others say that it's a better idea to read stories that Tolkien wrote with no editing help from his son Christopher first, then the ones Christopher helped with afterward.

I had wanted to read the LOTR trilogy before I read the Silmarillion, but it was a matter of where the books were when I started reading.  My LOTR books were my storage unit from my recent move, and The Silmarillion was in my apartment with me, because it was with my college stuff.  So I knew I had a personal reading list.

• The Hobbit
• Lord of the Rings (all three)
• The Silmarillion
• Children of Húrin
• (then order of which books bought first)

What's your order for reading the Tolkien books?  Did you come up with this list before, during, or after you started reading his wonderful stories?  Out of the Tolkien books you've read (if you have), which one is your favorite?  Let me know down below!

À beintôt

photo creds: monogram, books, quote,