#the series like. starts with flavia as the main main character and the other 3 characters also have their own storys and they team up

[andromedasummer]

sudden flashbacks to childhood as i remember the first book series i ever loved, Roman Mysteries. which in retrospect. has a lot. a lot. a LOT of issues

[dealbrekker]

Hey, I'm wondering if you have any good recommendations for books, movies or series? I followed you for soc and you seem to have a lot of other interesting fandoms and interests.

I like fantasy, but I don't want the world to be too different from our world. I like mysteries and paranormal stuff mostly but I can't seem to find any good ones lately. More realistic ones are good and I think that I need to read or watch more stuff like that.

I prefer if it has some of my favourite tropes like found family. Not too much romance or anything else.I read mainly YA but I really need to expand my taste more. I prefer series to be quite long but still bingeable. Movies are always good.

If you want to help me then that would be wonderful and I want to say thank you even before you answer.

Hello! I'd LOVE to give you some recommendations! I went through my goodreads and my own bookshelves to see what I have that match your interests and have compiled the following list!

Books/Series:

The Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters: these are my most favorite books by my most favorite author. They're historical fiction/mysteries set in the 1880s to the 1920s Egypt. There are 20 books in the series. They're fantastic if you want a brilliant main character who is sassy, fun, smart, and crazy intelligent. There is some romance peppered in throughout, but this is extremely well done and isn't the main point of the books. Nothing explicit in the least either. Along the way more characters are introduced and become part of the found family trope. This series was started in the late 1970s. I highly recommend all of Elizabeth Peters' books, as well as those under her other pen name, Barbara Michaels. The first book in the Amelia mysteries is called Crocodile on the Sandbank. Not YA.

The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs: I'm a couple books behind in this paranormal/suburban fantasy series, but love it so much. There are currently around 11 books or so. Again, there is some romance, but the mysteries and supernatural elements are at the foreground. Werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires, the fae, and more feature. Mercy is a certified badass mechanic and coyote shapeshifter. First book is called Moon Called. Not YA.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. Now these you probably know and have possibly already read. Supernatural/paranormal YA series heavily featuring the found family trope. Beautiful and weird and just delicious. These books, for me at least, are more about the characters than the plot. First books is The Raven Boys.

The Constellation Trilogy by Claudia Gray: YA sci-fi! I'm not big on sci-fi but this wonderful trilogy is a fantastic way to dip your toe into the genre. It has one of my favorite characters I've come across in recent years, Abel Mansfield. He is the most darling, socially awkward Android you'll ever meet. First book is called Defy the Stars.

The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. This isn't YA but the main character is an 11 year old chemistry prodigy. She's fun and whip smart and has a nose for solving murder cases much to the local Inspector's chagrin. I think there are 9 or 10 in this series so far. The first is called The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor. Exquisite. Just gorgeous. The books read like a dream. Fantasy but not too fantasy. I'd consider these on the cusp of YA and whatever is above YA. The characters are in their mid to late teens, but it's a bit like SoC where the writing lends itself to an older audience. The first is Strange the Dreamer.

The Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown. This is also a YA leaning more toward adult. Loosely I'd describe the first book, Red Rising, as Hunger Games on Mars. I've only read the first 3 books, but UGH the characters. UGH the action. Definitely has Found Family going on in it. If memory serves it can be a little graphic in the action and violence but isn't the worst I've ever read. More sci-fi that isn't too sci-fi.

Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. Okay so here is where I deviate. This is higher fantasy than what I've recommended thus far. It's sprawling world building at its finest. That being said, it's still really humans, just on a different world where the plant and animal life is different. These are very long books, but just phenomenal. The cast of characters are incredible, the plots engaging. If you want to read this series, give it the time it deserves. Ive only read the first 2, and there are 4 currently. Sanderson has tons of other books and series that take place in the same universe, if I'm not mistaken, but I've only read the Stormlight Archive books so far. The first one is called The Way of Kings.

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. Same disclaimer as the last one. More high fantasy. Tbh, I havent read these in a long, long time, but very much enjoyed them. A bit more complex as far as the magic, but the plot and characters are amazing so I wanted to mention them. First one is called The Name of the Wind and there are only 2 so far.

Shows:

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (on acorn TV and possibly bbca): 3 seasons of utter delight. Fun and flirty and moving. Takes place in the 1930s I believe, in Australia. Follows Phryne Fisher as she bursts her way into solving murders much to Inspector Jack Robinson's dismay. These two are AMAZING partners, no matter how reluctant. This is also a book series, but I haven't read them and have actually heard many people say they prefer the show

Lucifer (on Netflix.): I'm behind and I'm upset that I'm behind. Follows one cheeky devil as he assists a reluctant Detective Chloe Decker solve crimes (I am starting to see a theme in my own interests 😆). Funny but so emotionally moving as Lucifer navigates his way through his own humanity

Prodigal Son. Season 2 starts in January. It airs on Fox so I'm not sure off the top of my head where you can find season 1 readily available. Highly recommend. Follows Malcolm Bright, a serial killer Profiler for the NYPD. His father is a very famous serial killer, and he often gets tips from dear old dad to aid in his cases. Malcolm has tons of ptsd and trauma to work through, so the show touches upon these themes heavily.

Movies:

To be perfectly honest, I'm not a movie expert of any kind. I just watch what looks interesting to me. But my all time favorite movies are the 1999/2000 The Mummy and The Mummy Returns with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Just pure joy when I watch. Fun and so very quotable.

I also adore the Thin Man series from the 40s starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. Those 2 are absolutely relationship goals. So fun and sassy. A husband and wife crime solving team with a sassy dog named Asta.

This was so fun to put together for you! Let me know if you have anymore questions about anything I listed! Take care and happy reading/viewing!

[spampistefania]

stefania spampinato & volver transcripted livestream

Interviewer — Going to the USA is a dream for many actors, not everyone succeed in it, it’s a pipe dream. But our guest did it and it wasn’t even her main goal. Let’s hear it from her. Today we have Stefania Spampinato!

I — Hi Stefania, you’re beautiful!

Stefania – Good Morning!

I – How are you?

S – I’m fine! What about you?

I – So, why did I start with this song? I read a lot about you. We barely know each other, but I read about you because I wanted to know everything apart from the things you’ve already told me... So I found out that Brazilian songs make you happy. So I was thinking, what could I sing? I’m so bad at English, I tried every song..., “My way”, but then no, I wanted something happy, so I wanted to dedicate this song to you.

S – You did the right thing! It’s an happy song, and it’s Brazilian. It’s evening there now, and here it’s morning but that’s still good.

I – It’s morning there, but you look amazing. You look relaxed!

S - Yeah, I had my coffee, I woke up...

I – There are so many people in the comments who are sending the Brazilian flag. Because there are people from all over the world. There are so many questions!

S – I receive lot of questions from young actors who want to start this career, so it gets hard to answer to all of them. So... this is a great opportunity, doing it in Italian. I really liked this idea!

I – So let’s start with this. Explain what they ask you.

S – "How can I get to the USA?" All I can do is telling my experience but everyone has their own story. I also started doing the dance thing, I went to London first and from London I came to LA to still dance and then I ended up doing something different. But I studied dancing, singing and acting in Italy with the intention of doing musicals. Then I focused most on the dancing thing and once in LA I started studying acting. But I paid my dues, it’s not like I arrived and I said “Here I am”... no. The most difficult part in the USA is getting a visa, it’s really hard to get because you need to have a solid resumè, so if you didn’t work before it’s hard to arrive to the USA. My advice is to study in Italy or England or in France.

I – They ask if you can suggest some schools?

S – (I didn't understand this part, sorry!)

I – What are you doing during this time? What are you doing since you can’t act?

S – Before the pandemic, during the movie with Siani I saw him directing, I was close with the editor and I got passionate about directing, so in the USA I asked to the GA & the S19 showrunner if I could be a shadow to the director. So I was there 14 hours just to see him directing and then I started working on my short film... but during this pandemic I tried to end this idea of the short film.

I – There are so many English people here, do you want to say hi in English? There are so many people who want to learn Italian because of you!

S – I'm so sorry this one is in italian and a lot of you are not gonna understand much, but [...] (she talks about sending questions in english). There are lots of Brazilian, Argentinian fans!

I – Even from Chile! So, many people are asking what are the differences between USA and Italy?

S – Honestly, in the USA there are more money. But I’m part of two famous tv series. The thing that is better is that on Italian set you feel like a family. In Italy the assistant would come with some pizza and say “it is right out of the oven, eat it before shooting the scene”. In America this wouldn’t happen. In the morning in Italy you would have espresso all together and so the atmosphere is more familiar. Even behind the scenes, in the USA is the place where there are the director and the writer, the actors are not allowed. Instead in Italy you can talk to the director, you can participate more.

I – Did you have difficulties during auditions, because you were Italian?

S – For the foreign people are all the same. There is no difference between Spanish, Italian. Then if you are a good-looking guy or girl they may think “he was a model and and now he wants to be an actor”. So that’s the vibe when you get into the audition room. So you have to work harder to prove yourself, and to show that you deserve it.

I – I mean just thinking about the green card, I mean I didn’t came here for fun, I earned it.

S – Well, about the green card... there are people who can obtain the green card easily, because they want to do the acting thing just to become famous, not because they are passionate about it. And to them they say “no, no”. They give you the opportunity to show them that you are worth it.

I – What was you reaction when you got the part for Carina? Your reaction and your family’s reaction?

S – The night before the audition I was at my acting class and I was crying because of my Italian accent. With the accent I could have just Italian roles. So I was crying. The next day I arrived, and when I got into the room the casting director was like “let’s see another one” but then during the audition they asked me a question, they made me do the scene another time, they made me improvise. And they told me "don’t’ go back to Italy". The next morning, they told me “see you at the table read!” So, I laughed, I cried. My neighbors wanted to call the police. I didn’t tell anything to my family until 2 weeks later because I heard about people who were fired after the table read, so I was scared. When the news were officially out I told everyone. My best friend is a huge Grey's Anatomy fan, so I was really excited to tell her.

I – Having Giacomo there helped? I mean, someone you could speak Italian with...

S – Yes!

I – How did you feel when you got on the set of GA?

S – It was unreal. Ellen Pompeo is the one who says hi to you. I couldn’t believe it!

I – What did you like about playing an LGBT character? And how much Stefania there is in Carina?

S – I really like playing an LGBT character, because it doesn’t happen a lot that an Italian is chosen to represent this community, so it was a new thing. Also because lot of Italian teenagers don't have a person who can represent them in that way. So being an European girl, bisexual, without limits. I was so happy.

I – Yeah, because you are a doctor who studies women’s brain during orgasms, right? Does it really exist this kind of doctor? Do you guys prepare for these things?

S – Yes, these people exist. In fact, I talked to an Italian doctor who was doing this study in London... I read some books, “The multiorgasmic woman” is what is called.

I – I didn’t know that. I thought it was fictional!

S – GA is based on real things, and about the second question... Carina taught me so much. Because I’m Sicilian, I grew up in a small town and despite the fact that my mom was super open-minded, I grew up in a conservative world. So Carina taught me to be more relaxed, to not be afraid of saying things.

I – She is the one who taught you something! And between Arizona and Maya, which one is the story couple you would like to live? (I don’t know if this is right!)

S – Maya! As soon as we read the script – we say this a lot – everyone got quiet and there were 5 seconds of silence, because everyone was surprised by the chemistry that was there.

I – Were you on Station 19?

S – Yes!

I – What if they told you that you became an important character on S19 and you had to choose between S19 and GA?

S – Well... S19 is a show that talks about firefighters so I don’t know how an OB could fit in it.

I – Now that Arizona is gone, why they don’t write a storyline about Carina? But everything's stopped there, you are not shooting, right?

S – No, we are not. GA didn’t finish the last 4 episode. They told it would have started again this week but I don’t think it has. What about Italy?

I – We should start “phase 3” on the 3rd of June. So they would like to start again from mid June/July. We hope it won’t be in September. Also, many people want you back in Italy. Speaking about Italy... you were in (Alessandro) Siani’s movie. You were Flavia, a scientist, a good one. Then there’s a love story with him. How was working with him? Is he really selfless?

S – He was super busy because he was the writer, the director and the actor. There were scripted scenes, but we improvised a lot and that was very funny. I liked how the love story was written because it was fresh and not so much romantic.

I – It's a really great movie. There are people here saying "you’re beautiful", "ti amo", "English please!"...

S – Most of my live are in english so...

I – Do you dream in Italian or in English? Do you feel uncomfortable with the actors on set?

S – I don’t know... For example, I had some builder who were speaking Spanish and I started speaking Spanish and dreaming in Spanish.

I – Which role of a movie you saw that you would have liked to play?

S – Rosario Dowson’s role in “Sette Anime” di Gabriele Muccino!

I – And a director you would like to work with?

S – It’s not easy. Because maybe some of them do great thing but you don’t get along with them. But the director of S19... he tells you a specific thing and it changes everything. And I didn’t expect that a person with so much experience would dedicate so much time to an actor.

I – It’s hard to create empathy...

S – That’s why I decided to start directing. I had some scenes with Danielle, and she had to cry, and on TV Shows the director usually don’t give you so much time, so we, as actors, help each other. So it’s beautiful to tell an actor to say “do that”.

I – What kind of movies would you like to direct? Horror, action?

S – No, horror no! They make me anxious. I like romantic comedies, but also dramatic movies.

I – Do you live love with yearning?

S – (I didn't understand this part, sorry!)

I – Can I tell you something? Thank God. If you have the passion about directing you have to protect it. Can you say something in Sicilian?

S – I’ll tell you something that my mom always said and that my sister and I want to tattoo on our ankle: “zita sempre maritata mai” (always in a relationship but never married).

I – She's right! The problem is that we always fall for it. As women, we are always romatic, the prince charming arrives with his white horse. Do you know what a Brazilian friend of mine say? My prince charming’s horse is a little bit hurt (I don’t know how to translate it). At the beginning the prince is perfect and then… Apart your relationship with you boyfriend or husband or whatever, can you say that your job is your second love? I don’t want to put it first.

S – When you work harder for something you want to do, it’s amazing!

I – A Brazilian asked “did she talked about an husband?” I don’t know, I just said boyfriend, husband and we don’t care. We also have to say goodbye. I’m happy we had you here in this live. Thank you, bye!

S - Bye!

——————————————

special thanks to the queen paola for translating it from italian to english! 💜

[daniellethamasa]

Hey all, Dani here.

Whoops…I guess I should have mentioned earlier that I would have a bonus post up today. Surprise extra content! I have a few book tags that I have been tagged in over the past couple of weeks and I’m trying to get them written and scheduled so I don’t forget about them for the next six months and then go, oh no! guess I can’t do that now. So welcome to one of a few upcoming tag posts from me.

I was tagged for this particular post by Jenna over at Bookmark Your Thoughts, so thanks for that Jenna. If you guys haven’t checked out Jenna’s blog, then I definitely recommend it. She has some beautifully laid out posts and a fun variety of reviews and tags and more.

Fun fact, I haven’t listened to this Taylor Swift Album. Actually the last full-album I listened to by her was Speak Now, which I thought was a great album. I’ve listened to a few songs on her albums since then, but haven’t felt compelled to buy them. So it’s going to be fun to try and answer these tag prompts when I don’t understand the song references.

The Creator & the Rules

The creator of this tag is Sara @ The Bibliophagist! As for the rules:

↠ Link back to the creator, Sara @ The Bibliophagist! ↠ Answer the questions. ↠ Tag whoever you want and link back to the person who tagged you!

I Forgot That You Existed

A book from your childhood that you don’t remember anything about

Umm….this is such a hard one, because I remember at least vague overarching details about most everything I’ve read. I guess I’ll go with the Boxcar Children series, because I remember it less than I do some of my other childhood reads.

Cruel Summer

The worst book you’ve read this summer

Oh boy, I guess I should look at the books I read last summer, because we still have a few months until summer this year. Okay, well, I guess this book will work. It wasn’t a bad book (I gave it 3 stars), but it definitely wasn’t my favorite book. I think maybe if I read it again when I was feeling more in the mood then maybe I would like it better, but I don’t know.

  Lover

A bookish relationship that’s perfect exactly the way it is

Okay, I loved the friendship and family relationships in this one, as well as the romantic relationships. Honestly this reminds me that I want to read this book again, especially in anticipation for the sequel which will be out this fall. Renaissance Festival romance is one of my favorite plot/settings right now. Seriously.

The Man

A book with a badass female main character

O-kay, well I read a lot of books with badass female main characters, so this is actually fairly difficult for me. I started looking through my WordPress media and realized that I wanted to pick someone who was badass from start to finish in the story, because I started thinking about how a lot of the great female main characters start off as normal-ish characters and then grow into their badassdom. Sal is just badass all the way through the book. I am definitely excited about the sequel coming out this summer.

The Archer

A book with great character development

I didn’t think this through or try to plan any of this ahead of time. These prompts are so amazing and so difficult. Okay, technically this one is stretching the prompt a bit, because it’s not so much one single book with great character development, but rather the whole trilogy, which this is the final book of. Wow, seriously looking back at the journeys of each character through the three books…the paths they took were incredible. I love this series so much.

I Think He Knows

Your fictional crush

So here’s the thing…I don’t really crush on characters so much anymore, because I have my fiance and he’s the only one for me. But…for the purposes of this book tag, I’ll just go ahead and pick a book where I think the characters are crush-worthy and that will have to be good enough, okay?

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

A book set in high school

Hmm…can I pick one that actually takes place mostly at the school, because most that I can think of focus on the interactions and activities outside of school? See, if the prompt didn’t specifically say high school then I know exactly what book I would pick: Homerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O’Donnell; it takes place almost entirely at a middle school. Oh hey, look, it takes place at U.A. High School…yay, superhero high school. That totally works.

Paper Rings

A book with a happy ending

Isn’t this spoiler territory? Okay fine, I know I can think of at least one book that I can have for this prompt. I might as well use this space to talk up some upcoming releases that I am reading and loving now, and this is certainly one of them. Friendship squad goals, a cute friends-to-kissing relationship, and wenches training to be knights at a medieval show/themed restaurant.

Cornelia Street

A setting you’ll never forget

There are an awful lot of books that would fit into this category. Let’s be honest though, I’m always going to be thinking about the worlds of Fairy Tail and Black Clover, because those worlds are where these amazing ally/friend groups are, where your guildmates never give up and support each other through thick and thin. That is what makes the setting so unforgettable for me, because the characters make you remember where they’re from.

Death By A Thousand Cuts

A book that broke your heart

Now this definitely could be spoiler territory. Actually if I hadn’t already picked it earlier, I’d put Night of the Dragon here. All right, I’ve found the book that totally ripped my heart out, and that’s all I’m going to say about it, because I don’t want to risk spoilers, but I love the Colorworld series and I highly highly recommend it. You can start with Colorworld, which is the first book, OR you can actually start with the fifth book, Dreamworld. Either way everything still makes sense and comes together beautifully.

  London Boy

A setting that plays a big role in the story

All right, I think I can safely choose this book for this prompt. The characters do a lot of traveling around the world, and the different cultural and magical aspects of each locale is pretty important to the development of characters and in the growth of the plot in general, so yeah, setting is a pretty important part.

Soon You’ll Get Better

A book that made you cry

A lot of them! Haven’t I already mentioned a couple? Okay, so I had three books make me cry between Sunday and Monday this week. I already mentioned two of them (Night of the Dragon and The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly), so I might as well put the third one in here. Fun fact: they each made me cry for different reasons.

False God

A book with a well-written sexy scene

Wow…yeah, I totally didn’t read these prompts ahead of time, did I? Umm…sure…I think I know what book, or technically book series, I can pick with this one. Yep, gonna go with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series here. I tried to binge-read them and I had to stop after reading a few in a row because whew. *fans face* I actually probably need to keep going with this series sometime soonish.

You Need to Calm Down

A book featuring an LGBT romance

I’m not entirely certain just yet on this one, but I can definitely make the assumption because the female protagonist inherits her brother’s warrior bride…so I’m hopeful that this means there will be an LGBT romance in this one. If not…try The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly or Bonds of Brass, both books that I’ve also talked about in this tag.

Afterglow

A great second chance romance

Well, as soon as I read the prompt for this one I knew what book to pick. Okay, cool, the whole premise of both of these books is a couple trying again.

Me!

Your all-time favorite book

Rude. I already talked about the Colorworld series in this post. Hmm…sorry, you’re going to get more than one book for this one.

It’s Nice To Have A Friend

Your favorite friends-to-lovers book

So many of these prompts make me want to pick books that I’ve already picked, but I’m trying to spread the love around. This is getting so much harder now that I’ve neared the end of the post. Does this one count? I think it does. Yeah, I’m going to go with this one. Though I can definitely say that The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is friends-to-lovers, as is Bonds of Brass.

Daylight

A book with a positive message

Yes, this one. Embrace your own weirdness and creativity, and face your fears and doubts, and …and…I love this book. I own two copies, one signed copy that I’ll never write in and then the other copy so I can actually do the exercises and stuff. Damian is the same way with two copies of this book as well.

Okay, well now it’s time to time to tag people.

Flavia @ Flavia the Bibliophile

Adrienne @ Darque Dreamer Reads

Katie @ Never Not Reading

YOU! If you’re reading this and you want to do this tag, then I TAG YOU!

Lover Book Tag Hey all, Dani here. Whoops...I guess I should have mentioned earlier that I would have a bonus post up today.

[misereremepeccatorem]

I’ve been trying to compose a retrospective post about 2019, despite it being three whole days into the new year, when old things are passed away and, largely, forgotten in the mists.

So whilst my mind sorts that out, I thought I’d follow a collection of prompts to tell y’all about this year’s reading.  Do share your own reading experiences as you like!!  Here’s to further work on our respective TBR piles throughout 2020.

How many books did you read this year?   33!

Did you reread anything? What? Curse of the Pharaohs (as I hope to continue the Amelia Peabody series, and had forgotten how this story went), As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (ditto, but re: the Flavia de Luce series), Good Omens (before watching the Amazon show’s depiction of it).

What were your top five books of the year? Persuasion, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Stature of Waiting, Good Omens, and Thoughts on Creating Strong Towns.  The first 3 were beautiful, beneficial to the soul, and felt classic.  Good Omens remained hilarious, if blasphemous.  Strong Towns was so thought-provoking that I think it’s given me a bit of a paradigm shift in how I think about communities.

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year? I definitely enjoyed Ted Chiang, what I’ve read of Amor Towles, and WH Vanstone.

What genre did you read the most of? Mysteries – 7 of them (2 Amelia Peabody, 4 Flavia de Luce, 1 Sherlock pastiche).

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to? Oh, always.  Kristin Lavransdattir, Crazy Rich Asians, some things other friends lent me.  Still haven’t finished Benedict Option or A Gathering of Ravens.  At one point I had three copies of The Ode Less Traveled, but I had trouble on Exercise 4 so I haven’t finished the exercises therein yet.

What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?  3.7, I guess, which sounds fair.  Just as I try not to go overboard on standing ovations, I try to save 1- or 2-star reviews for the truly terrible, and 4- or 5-star reviews for the truly edifying or life-changing.

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones? I read 30 books, which was my main goal.  There will always be a TBR pile, though. I tried giving up fanfiction, which would work for a month tops before I returned to old habits.

Did you get into any new genres? No, I guess not, unless you count “Spanish baby books” as a genre.

What was your favorite new release of the year? The only new release I read was, apparently, The Golden Tresses of the Dead.  So I guess that wins.

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?   The Stature of Waiting was originally published in 1982; A Month in the Country, 1980.  Oh, and Persuasion! 1818.  I’d seen the movie but hadn’t read it before.

Any books that disappointed you? A Study in Sherlock.  It’s an anthology written in homage of Doyle’s canon, but several of the entries seemed to say “Look how much I’m into memorabilia and name-dropping!!” instead of “Hey, look, a well-composed story.”

What were your least favorite books of the year?   Hmm.  Robinson’s Housekeeping was strange to me.  Olive Kitteridge was delicately written but so godless!  So depressing.  Bright Bazaar was a book I checked out in hopes that it could give me decorating ideas, but instead it just infuriated me – apparently bright colors are only possible for wealthy homeowners who are aggressive minimalists.  Ugh.

What books do you want to finish before the year is over? I squeezed The Stature of Waiting in, and got started rereading The Buried Giant, which I haven’t finished yet.

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them? …okay, possibly I did?  But also, who knows.  I don’t care enough to go look it up.

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year? I dunno about ‘overhyped,’ but – I read 3 books by Jason Fung (The Obesity Code, The Complete Guide to Fasting, The Diabetes Code) and they could have/should have been edited down into one book.  I’m also surprised that Olive Kitteridge has been made into a show; it was so depressing that I’m not interested in learning more about the characters in it.

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?   The Stature of Waiting did.  It was also surprising in terms of content – I don’t know that I’ve ever read a gloss of the Passion narrative like this.

How many books did you buy? Seven, I think – 4 as gifts, 3 for me.  And I received at least 2 as gifts in return.

Did you use your library? Oh, for sure.  This is part of why I’m an irresponsible reader: I check out everything that catches my eye, and then it sits and waits for me for ages.

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?   Probably Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang?  Which.  I wanted to read it because Arrival made me cry a lot.  It was both what I expected and…not at all what I could have expected.

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?  Nope.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.

What’s the longest book you read? A Gentleman in Moscow, apparently – 396 pages.

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book? Probably an hour or two for a shorter book.

Did you DNF anything? Why? I didn’t finish The Story of a Soul because someone else requested it from the library.  I didn’t finish Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story because it Just Wasn’t What I Expected; I honestly thought it was a story, not a philosophical enterprise.  Lastly, I checked out several Spanish children’s books in the expectation that they would suit my level of Spanish vocabulary.  Some (Nariz, Naricita; Besos for Baby; Los Sueños) were feasible; some (Cómo Esconder un León a la Abuela; El Príncipe de los Enredos; Rooster; Los Arboles Están Colgando del Cielo) were beyond me. 

What reading goals do you have for next year?   To start with, I want to read at least 35 books.  I hope to read through my current library checkouts and not get out more than I can get through (even during the Summer Game)!  I want to finish The Ode Less Traveled and Studies in Words so I can, at long last, remove them from my “Currently Reading” tab.  I want to reread The Lord of the Rings.  I want to read all of Shakespeare’s plays, or at least, all those I haven’t read or watched before.

Tell me about your 2019 reading, or what you look forward to reading in 2020!

  2019 in Books! I’ve been trying to compose a retrospective post about 2019, despite it being three whole days into the new year, when old things are passed away and, largely, forgotten in the mists.

[bargainbooklover]

For the month of October I managed to read a total of 8 books and 3 graphic novels. Three of the eight books were re Reads and I’m also proud to say I’ve now only got 3 arcs to read for NetGalley. October was a pretty exciting month. Apart from the obvious Halloween( Happy belated Halloween 👻) I finally bought myself a new Kindle. I lost my old one after my little demon sister decided to play with it. In. The. Toilet. Water. So after being Kindleless for two months I am now the new owner of Sally an Amazon 6th generation paperwhite. Due to Sally I’ve been happily reading all my late arcs and slowly but surely getting through them.

1) The Captive Prince Trilogy by C.S Pacat 5⭐️’S 

This was a re read. I love The Captive Prince trilogy and it was honestly so great to be back with Damen & Laurent. I will never tire of these books. I could read them fifty times and still experience the same emotions as the first time. I highly recommend this trilogy.

2) 27 Hours by Tristina Wright 3⭐️’S 

I was lucky to receive an Arc of 27 hours from NetGalley. 27 hours started out dodgy. The world building and plot took a while to get my head around. However as the book continued I found myself emersed in the world and in love with the cast. Who where all part of the LGBTQIAP+ community. Two adorable romances developed and it was overall an enjoyable book.

3) They Both Die at The End by Adam Silvera 4⭐️’S

Adam Silvera did the impossible and made me fall in love with a love that developed within 24 hours. I know. Normally I’m shouting NO INSTA LOVE from the rooftops, however TBDATE was just so beautiful and really sad. I adored this book and completely recommend. Quick warning- bring tissues.

5) Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 5⭐️’S 

Let’s talk about one of the best books of 2017. Radio Silence blew me away. I fucking loved it so much, not only is there absolute NO romance but the main protagonist was the most relatable person ever! We also get a great friendship and great Demisexual & Bisexual representation. Also boy/ girl friendship with no hidden feelings. I cannot recommend this book enough!

6) True Colors by Anyta Sunday 3⭐️’S 

Anyta Sunday showed me again why she remains one of my favourite authors. True colors had all the regular cuteness with a touch of friends to lovers. It wasn’t as good as other Anyta Sunday books but I still enjoyed it.

7) Illegal Contact by Santino Hassell 4⭐️’S

My first novel by Santino Hassell and it won’t be my last. I loved Illegal Contact so much. I don’t normally read romances but when I do they’re normally sports related and contain LGBTQIAP+ characters. Here Gavin was Bisexual and Noah was Gay. It was a cute m|m romance that I wholeheartedly recommend.

  1) Generations by Flavia Biondi 4 ⭐️’S

Generations was a graphic novel I received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It’s also a graphic novel that took be completely by surprise. I never expected to relate to it as much as I did. This graphic novel became so special to me for many reasons and I highly recommend it.

2) The LumberJanes volume 3 by Noelle Stevenson 3 ⭐️’S

While it wasn’t my favourite LumberJanes novel it was still really cute. Honestly Molly and Mal have just stolen my heart and it’s great to see such a cute f|f relationship in a middle grade graphic novel! The friendship in this series is brilliantly developed and done so well it warms my heart. ( Which is a complement I’m like the ice-queen) The only thing I didn’t like much about this volume was the change in the art.

3) The LumberJanes volume  4 by Noelle Stevenson 4 ⭐️’S

Another great edition to the LumberJane series. We get deeper into our story and finally get some background about the camp! The friendship is stronger than ever and we learn that Joe has two fathers and honestly I’m so happy with how diverse this graphic novel series is. People have got to stop sleeping on the LumberJanes!

That completes my October wrap- up. Thank you for reading and please feel free to comment what books you have read below.

                          {Bookish Chat} October 2017 wrap up. For the month of October I managed to read a total of 8 books and 3 graphic novels.